Mahou Sensei Kain Act 1
by Chris-Sasami-Bunny
Summary: Kain Lockheart, teen Mage prodigy, is asked, as a task to becoming an Archmage, to teach at an all girls class in Japan of students his own age. All the while, he must hide from them the existence of magic and try to find his missing father. Will he succeed, or will trouble follow him everywhere? Crossover includes characters from Inu Yasha, Mai Hime, DNAngel, and much more!
1. Chapter 1

A Note from the Fanfiction Editor: This is an introduction to My Brother's work. We will refer to him for all intents on here, for now, as Elodahn. He has given me permission to place this story online. He does not own Negima, or any other work related to it and neither do I. I am sharing this story because I believe it to be an amazing story. :) -Bunny

Mahô Sensei Kain: The Introduction

This is the story of Mahô Sensei Kain. It is a FanFiction work based on the story of Negima, originally written by Ken Akamatsu. I began writing MSK largely just for myself and a few of my close friends and my family, and never intended to introduce it to the public. However, as my sister is greatly insistent that I expose this story to the world, I've decided to go ahead and do so. However, MSK is an unusual work in many ways, and so before I begin to present it, I decided to sit down and write out this introduction to properly explain the _raison d'être_ of the story.

FanFiction writing is a natural pastime for me—it is something I am doing constantly. Nearly every book or manga I read, show or anime I watch, or any other media I enjoy prompts me to reimagine it in my mind, and these considerations end up dominating my brain processes most of the time. I just enjoy imagining myself or at times a character of my design interacting in the story, contributing, just being there…usually not supplanting the main characters, but smoothing over one or two 'bumps' at most and just generally enjoying my placement. An NCIS agent, a ninja, maybe even a pirate and certainly a few different kinds of wizards…I'm a writer at heart, but alas, one with far more imagination than originality (it may sound like a contradiction, but it's the best way to describe it).

However, there are some stories that, for various reasons, inspire a need for a more in-depth reimagining. That's what this story is. Most anime fans have one or two series they'd like redone—the story is great, many of the characters are excellent, but there are one or two things that might hold it back. Evangelion, for a specific example, might be the most commonly reimagined anime series; after all, it was so wildly successful and yet so thoroughly 'flawed', in its conclusion if nothing else, that there have been two _official_ anime reimaginings and perhaps a dozen or more manga variations on the story. Naturally, there are innumerable FanFiction interpretations of the story as well.

And Negima, for me, is one of these stories. It wasn't one I should have started reading in the first place—although I am a fan of anime and manga, I am still somewhat prudish and even Puritan in my tastes, and I feel that there is a line for fan service in these works that can be crossed, taking it from 'tolerable' to 'gratuitous'. The works of Ken Akamatsu-_sensei_, Love Hina and Negima, seemed to cross that line, and I resisted reading both. Negima, however, a tale of sorcery in the modern world quite obviously born from the spreading popularity of Harry Potter, did seem to be an interesting tale…but still I felt it was too '_ecchi_' for me. Finally, however, I had so many references to it and recommendations and such that I decided to take the plunge.

And at first it was just as bad as I feared. Negi was a child who, despite being a 10-year-old genius mage teacher, mostly caused havoc with his magic, regularly stripping his students with crazy hijinks. He was 'hilariously' incompetent, when it came down to it. I don't know why I kept reading it…okay, I do know, and that reason was one character I fell for, but long story short, eventually I was rewarded for my patience. Negi suddenly became appreciably competent and was involved in actual battles and struggles and secrets in this magical world, and the story just kept growing in its excitement, mystery, and glory. The fan service was still pervasive, but it was easier to ignore, and, in my mind, at least, almost became an afterthought—after chapters of normal battles, it was as if Akamatsu-_sensei_ suddenly remembered, 'Oh yeah, this is supposed to be an _ecchi _manga' and made another 'get all the girls naked' chapter. But it became more than tolerable, such was the awesomeness of this little boy Negi and his quest.

And thus the work became a prime candidate for a personal adaptation—as awesome as the whole thing was, there were still things that I didn't like, that, to my prudish and rather arrogant mind, could have been improved. The fan service, primarily—the 'Barbie doll' nature of the nudity simply made it worse in my mind than works that hide ladies' breasts and such through convenient arms, hands, locks of hair, or other pieces of background. In addition, some of the weird fetishes continually repeated, such as the recurring theme of short skirt-wearing girls going 'commando' by either accident or design, were off-putting, and perhaps most particularly, the romances towards the 10-year-old child Negi were…troublesome, for the most part.

And so, for a NaNoWriMo project a while back, I decided to try my hand at my own version of Negima, a story based on the skeleton and using some (probably about 10-20%) of the characters, but otherwise being my own work. It has enough that it is certainly a FanFiction of Negima, but…well, it's just far from a normal one.

The first thing necessary to understand about me is that I write FanFiction constantly, as I stated earlier. The second is that I think overly much, about a great deal of things, and I have a tendency to want to express or explain myself, perhaps unnecessarily, and that is the main reason for this introduction. Like one of my heroes, MegaTokyo artist Fred Gallagher, I like to express my thoughts and reasons for the progression of my works, and, in addition to this introduction, I have 'Chapter Notes' that explain my changes and adaptations, character introductions, and whatever else I am thinking about (regarding the work) at the time. Those who read who want to know a little more are encouraged to read them, but if you'd rather not subject yourself to my diseased thought ramblings, even if you are enjoying the story, you are naturally free to skip them.

The stage has been set….

For those of you who have never read Negima or watched the anime adaptation (or any of the other alternate universe manga/anime versions), all you really need to know now is this: this is the story of a young man, a genius mage teenager who begins his life as a mage being an English teacher for a class of girls his age in Japan, and has many adventures with them. If you are interested, please beginning Act 1 to know more.

For those of you who have experienced the Negima universe already, there are some things you should know about this work:

Origin: This work was inspired by, and follows the skeleton of, the original manga written by Ken Akamatsu, and so, where there are differences between the original and its adaptations and spin-offs, my work will more closely follow the manga.

Main Character: One of the things that made Negima great was its titular character. While he began as a bungling and incompetent meddler, he grew and became a true hero by the end. He has enough of my faults that I can empathize with him, and enough heroic traits I wish I had that I can truly admire him…but in the end, in the convenience of my universe, he's one of the problems with the story. He's a ten-year-old kid, and that status makes the romances problematic, a big problem for me since I am a romantic at heart. So for my story I decided to replace him with the 14-year-old mage teacher, Kain Lockeheart (hence Mahô Sensei Kain). Kain Lockeheart is a heroic version of myself, naturally. Although you might label this a male equivalent 'Mary Sue' FanFiction (i.e. 'Obviously this guy wishes he had his own harem) this isn't any more than I usually do for my FanFiction variations, and in fact I detest Harem situations (see below). Kain Lockeheart is a good hero to bring in because, as I said, Negi has many traits I identify with. Making a teen Kain in this story is probably its biggest shake-up, largely because it kills all the child love 'humor' while adding more realistic romance and a more thoughtful, observant character. That's the extent of that, however—Negi is largely a product of his environment, his past and background, and since, for the story's sake, Kain is assuming that same past and background, he will be far more like Negi than he would otherwise be (based on the original Kain Lockeheart I created for other stories). So, big thing #1: we have a regular anime harem story with a teenager crew, not a _shotacon_ situation.

Harem: As I mentioned, I actually hate harem situations. I am far too ridiculously prone to pity and sympathy, and that is brought out badly in those situations, because I feel sorry for all the competing girls who don't win. So I suppose I could have readjusted the work to be a regular, mixed group of teens, a coed school, instead of an all-girls, but, sadly, harem situations are so common in anime now, including some of the others I'm adapting into here, and is such a major part of the Negima skeleton, that I felt I had to leave it. However, to help assuage my guilt some, I am adding a larger amount of male supporting characters there to add spice to the harem and give 'consolation prizes' or whatever for some of the unlucky females. Negima had a few of those, but far too few, and most not nearly remarkable enough.

The Girls: While I generally liked the class, I wanted to do something of my own, and having all the same girls in the class would have left it far too much of a copy (and I do copy parts I liked or needed as often as I can, I will admit). I wanted to make things different, at least to a degree, so I decided to build a different class. Three of the girls, the three I like the most and generally find the most irreplaceable (either one or both) return from Negi's class, but the rest of the girls of 2/3-A are not from Negima. For starters, I had a list of twelve anime girls that were my absolute favorites, and I decided that there was no better place to include all of them than in an all-girls mash-up anime story class. I then filled out my class with girls that worked well or fit in certain roles so that I could follow the skeleton to the degree that appealed to me. And also, I did this because….

The Mash-Up: I love mash-ups and crossovers. I love imagining, say, NCIS invading the turf of NYPD and working a case with Castle and Beckett, or Yusuke Urameshi investigating a well on assignment that takes him to a feudal era stuffed with demons. I really enjoy the thought and exercise of characters reacting to other characters and adjusting to unique situations. This is my imagination, and my true love. And this is a large reason I decided to mix in twelve rather random anime girls and then a whole bunch more: the exercise and excitement of multiple characters interacting, in being in roles or situations that are unusual for them, etc. And so, besides the girls in the class, many teachers, adversaries, side characters, and more will hail from a wide variety of anime sources. Those who are particularly diversely knowledgeable in anime (at least, my corner of it) may find a particularly amusing collection of colliding worlds. Or they may be even more insulted by my audacious sacrilege, who knows. For that reason, in addition to the Negima arcs and mini-stories I'm using and adapting, I work in stories, scenes, and lines that I particularly like from these other anime. And where they are important to the character, I am also working in whole backgrounds from other anime. Again, these are adaptations, so they won't be exactly the characters you may be used to…particularly amongst the class, the girls are often assuming backgrounds, like Kain, from the characters already present in order to fit in the story better, but I'm still trying to keep them closer to their original character.

Unique Characters: For certain characters I couldn't adequately replace and didn't want to keep, I substituted my own characters, and there are a few I wanted to include and place for various reasons. They are generally few in this story, but there are a few, and generally I announce who these characters are. They, obviously, belong to me, while the rest of the characters do not.

The Magical World: Negima had a rich history in its magical world and a wonderful, terrible secret, a very well-done plot twist and background to this 'Mundus Magicus'. It is something that is very uniquely Negima, and Ken Akamatsu's, and I certainly have no desire to trample on it by ripping it off entirely. I designed my own magical world, largely from the pieces of Negima and some of the other magical world anime I'm adapting in, and it will have an entirely different past, reason for existence, and all the rest, so don't assume it will be the same. It won't.

Ecchiness: As I said, the _ecchiness_ of MSN was one of the things that got to me, and one of the reasons I wanted to write this was to have the awesome story without the fan service. Besides, in a text story a large amount of fan service would be rather distracting and pointless. Now, like the aforementioned Fred Gallagher, I do acknowledge that a certain amount of fan service, tastefully done, can create story threads, draw attention to culture and psychology differences, and generally aid in storytelling, as long as it doesn't become lewd; it is generally humorous, for example, in pointing out the absurdity of all the hot springs episodes in anime, to have a parody hot springs episode of my own at some point. As long as it isn't fan service for fan service's sake, I can appreciate and even use it. Several of the works I'm adapting in (apart from Negima, of course) have a few scenes of a 'fan service' nature that are natural to include here for several reasons. A boy living with a bunch of girls his age, even one as discreet and shy and gentlemanly as Kain, is going to run into occasional problems. But those expecting paragraphs of explicit situations or descriptions should look elsewhere.

Disclaimer: That's about it for my necessary notes; if you want to know more about all the changes I'm making, or who specific characters are or what they're doing in this work, peruse my author's notes in the chapters, where I address almost every story included, ever skipped story, every minor or major character, and every random reasoning for my changes. In closing, I should like to proclaim my all-important disclaimer: I do not own Negi Springfield, Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, it is not for any commercial profit or personal gain, it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Well, if you've made it this far and still want to go on…then enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

The late winter air was cool and crisp, and the remnants of snow melted slowly and majestically across the great field surrounding the school. As the clothed and capped graduates fled the building following their final task within, one young man, younger than all the rest, made his slow way behind them all.

"Yo, Kain! Finally made it, huh?"

Kain Lockeheart, age fourteen, turned in surprise and smiled at the sight of his friend. "Lina! Glad you could make it. Didn't you come inside for the ceremony…?"

Lina Inverse tossed her long red hair dismissively at the comment. "Never been much for the pomp and circumstance. That's why I never bothered finishing the schooling myself. I'm surprised you did."

Kain blushed. "Ah, well, I'm not like you…I could never just develop magic well enough on my own like that…."

"Nonsense. You'd be fine. You're almost as good a spell-caster as I am…."

"But of a much more agreeable temperament, eh, Miss Inverse?"

The two turned to see the school's bald, white-bearded headmaster, Konosuke Hammond, descending down the steps towards them. "Although it is quite true that Kain is more than skilled enough," he continued. "Receiving such a degree from this school at age fourteen…such a thing hasn't been done since his father."

"Ah, well…I still couldn't match him…."

"At age ten? No, but you certainly can't believe yourself a failure simply because you can't meet his insurmountable achievements. You're well on the road to emulating him, however, and that is still your dream, isn't it?"

Kain's embarrassed and conciliatory, almost pathetic visage changed instantly to one of determination and resolution. "Yes. I know I've just started on the path to becoming an Archmage, but that is my ultimate goal. I have to tread the same path he did…even if it will take me longer to achieve it."

"Heh, not much longer," Lina finally put in. "So, does this mean you're finally coming to join me in Arcanus Myrror? It's been rather boring doing all this adventuring on my own…."

"Ho, I'm not sure that Kain would want to follow you too closely, Lina Inverse," Konosuke chuckled. "Your infamy is spreading, you know…Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, a few other less-flattering titles. Not that I would judge you, mind. But you always were a little more reckless and wild than Kain…."

"Yeah, yeah…wait, Dragon Spooker? What's that about? I've never heard of that one…."

"Never mind. In any case, Kain, having chosen to continue his education through the Archmage Program for Post-Graduates, must fulfill the assignment chosen for him by the Headmaster's Council, before undertaking any personal goals. You'll find it in that envelope I gave you with your diploma, Kain. Why don't you examine it while your friend Lina is here with you?"

"Oh! Right." Hurriedly, Kain ripped open the envelope and examined the contents. "Let's see here…'Kain Lockeheart is hereby charged with…'." Kain blinked and squinted at the paper in disbelief. "Er…teaching English at Mahora Academy in Japan?"

Lina, looking over Kain's shoulder in interest at the paper, also stared in disbelief for a few moments. Then she burst out laughing. "Teaching English? Oh…oh that's rich. Well, maybe you're more suited to that than adventuring, Kain…but, still…."

Kain could only shake his head in surprise. Of course, he had no idea just how much adventure the innocent teaching position would bring him….

Author's Note: Welcome to Mahou Sensei Kain!

This story is, for those who haven't figured it out (or have never seen the original) a fanfiction alternate universe or retelling of the manga universe Mahou Sensei Negima! This work follows, generally, the Negima story and universe, but replaces most of the main characters with some of my favorite characters from other anime, or, in some cases, my own unique characters. Obviously, those who detest fanfiction in general will want nothing to do with this story, so they can save themselves the trouble of reading any further. Each chapter will have these author's notes, including introductions about one or more of the central characters in the chapter (or perhaps recent chapters). This will explain the characters' origins, as well as their place in the Mahou Sensei universe, including any significant roles from the original Negima story that they are assuming. If you are interested in learning more about the Negima universe, the characters from it, and the characters I've used here, read on. If you don't really care, feel free to skip the notes. The entire purpose of this work, of course, is to be not just read, but enjoyed, and the hope is that these pieces will help expand the reader's knowledge and help them understand the work and characters.

In general, this adaption will include many events from the original work, but the overall background and raison d'être of the universe will be different—veterans of Negima who are aware of the magical world's secret, for example, should not assume this universe's magical world, Arcanus Myrror, follows the same rules.

I should take the time to note that while I love the Negima story and setting, the fan service nature of the manga drives me nuts; I consider it a flaw rather than a reason for reading, and that is the real purpose behind this fanfiction—I always put myself and/or my own characters and additions into the books, movies, anime and manga I love and play them many times in my imaginations. This one, however, is such a fine piece (both good and bad) that it screams the need to pare it a little—removing the nonsensical fan service and keeping the heart of the story, and twisting a few other things I like in the places I like them since I'm messing with it anyway. Sacrilege, perhaps, but this kind of thing is my true passion. So, in other words, I will have little fan service and shall not make any vain attempts to describe lewd situations, but since this is a novelization with no illustrations, you'd be silly to expect any.

Otherwise, I should use this first introductory note to introduce Kain Lockeheart, the hero of our story. Kain is, quite frankly, a heroic version of myself created for one (actual, several, to be honest) of my previous story ideas, so this is, in some ways, a Mary Sue Fanfiction (or whatever the male equivalent is). Even acknowledging that many authors feature a heroic protagonist with themselves as the base, I must admit that this is my own most major adjustment to the series. Nonetheless, Kain is a good replacement for Negi; most especially, in this case, he is older, but he is still similar in many ways—somewhat naive, but good-hearted, courageous, and dedicated to his duties. He has been given Negi's tragic past, or most parts of it, which gives him his goal and purpose in life. Still, as he is four years older than Negi, he will show a measure more wisdom and will not be as bumbling.

Lina Inverse of Slayers fame was also introduced here, replacing Anna Kokolova, Negi's childhood friend, but she will be featured in a (much) later chapter with a larger introduction.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter One: A Teacher's Calling

"Oh, we're going to be late again!" the girl wailed as she hurried with her two companions towards the school building.

"You were out too late again last night, Mai," pointed out the shorter girl to her right. Like Mai's other companion, her hair was black, but not very long, and tied in a ponytail.

"Don't say it like I was partying or something," Mai protested. "I was out working…."

"We know, we know," soothed her other companion on the left, whose long black hair was unadorned. "It's almost becoming routine."

"You could go on ahead instead of waiting for me, you two," Mai continued.

"Wouldn't dream of it. You might never show up," the shorter girl answered. "Right, Kagome?"

"Right, Momo," Kagome agreed.

They rounded a corner and Mai crashed into someone. It was, surprisingly, almost like hitting a wall. To her further shock, she found herself caught and steadied almost instantly. She looked in surprise at her assailant/rescuer, who was holding her lightly around the waist with one hand while he held Mai's bag—which she had dropped—in his other. He was about her age, with short, very neat red hair, parted on the left, shining blue eyes, and a pale face. His ancestry was obviously English, probably American, but he said, in perfect Japanese, "I'm sorry, Miss…are you all right?"

After making sure she was on her feet properly, he let her go and handed over her bag. "Er…yes…thank you," she replied, trying to get her bearings. She took a moment to really size up the young man. He was dressed in fine, navy blue suit with a white shirt and red tie, and…a white cloak, with a hood, fine and apparently fur-lined. The cloak aside, his appearance was strange because the suit in question wasn't one she was familiar with, despite all the different branches in the marvelously, overly-large Mahora Academy.

And the young man considered the trio before him. All three were dressed in the uniform of the Mahora Academy's Girl's Middle School, jackets over white shirts with red-lined white skirts. They were also in three sizes—the girl he had bumped into was the largest, both in height and especially in bust, with her two female specialties displaying themselves prominently even under her shirt and jacket. Her hair was short, an orange a few shades lighter than the boy's hair, with one rather bizarre strip of rebellious bangs that poked out to her right and then shot sharply to the left. Her eyes were a rather mesmerizing bright purple. Her two companions, while certainly not unpleasant to look out, simply did not stand out as much; the girl on her left was nearly her height but not so well-endowed, with long black hair and simple brown eyes. The girl on her right, whose eyes twitched open in surprise just a second longer than they should have, was shorter than both and quite obviously flat-chested as well, also with black hair and brown eyes, but with her hair in a short ponytail.

The boy internalized all this in a glance and proceeded to his own concerns. "I can see you're in a hurry," he continued, "but I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for the girls' middle school…."

Mai's eyes narrowed. "I think you've picked the wrong time to try and pick up a girlfriend," she snapped curtly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be late…."

She took off again, Kagome and Momo quickly falling in line behind her. Kain watched them go, then shook his head and sighed. "Well, that could have gone better," he muttered.

Mai settled with a sigh into her chair just as the bell rang. Shortly afterward, the tall, imposing figure of Takahata T. Takamichi entered the room. He quieted them, called them to order, and, after the customs, took role. "There will be a big change starting from today—you have a new teacher, a new homeroom teacher who will be taking my place…."

Kain considered that his fortune had carried through today, at least. At least, a good turn to balance the…unknown turn he had first encountered.

Meia Gisborn was seemingly stern and businesslike. She was fairly tall, several inches taller than Kain, with short but wide, light blue-green hair and eyes of a similar color. Her right eye was adorned by an odd black…adornment, which called attention completely away from her business-like navy blue short skirt and suit jacket. She was also quite understanding of Kain's predicament and more than willing to assist him.

"And here it is…class 2-A," Meia explained. "Takahata-sensei is inside, probably informing the class of the change. I understand you are already acquainted with Takahata-sensei." It was a statement.

"Oh, yes." Kain nodded enthusiastically. "He was…a friend of my father, and he's often visited me at my home back in America."

Meia gave a small smile which fled quickly, and knocked on the door. She opened it immediately afterward. "Good morning, Takahata-sensei. I trust we're not interrupting?"

"Not at all, Miss Gisborn. Your timing, as usual, is impeccable. May I present your new English and homeroom teacher: Kain Lockeheart."

Kain ducked through the door and stood at attention next to Takamichi's desk. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Meia Gisborn nod and then slip away, sliding the door shut.

Focusing on the class—the class in general—he took a deep breath and bowed. "Greetings to you all. I am your new English and homeroom teacher…no, teacher-in-training, Kain Lockeheart. I am fourteen years old. I hope we will all get along."

Rising, he took a good look at the class and now, now he froze in terror. Twenty-nine young faces, all his age, stared back at him, with various looks of disbelief, amazement, interest, and even, well, yes, even blank stares he couldn't fathom, all dressed in that same red and white. And then, only then did he notice the short orange hair in the middle row and the wide violet eyes staring in shock—the girl he had run into before.

Takamichi coughed, somewhat breaking the spell. "Kain-sensei is from America. He recently graduated from Caelar University, and in the pursuit of his post-graduate studies, he has been assigned to teach here at Mahora Academy. He'll be replacing me fully for the rest of the school year."

"I look forward to working with you all," Kain added quickly. "I hope that we can enjoy our time together."

He bowed again, rose, and, after another half-second eternity of silence, the room exploded.

Well, not literally, but noise suddenly filled it, threatening to shatter the walls as girls rose from desks, raised their hands, and sometimes even pushed forward to get a better look, but Kain felt their questions drowning him:

"Sensei! Sensei! Are you really fourteen?"

"Are you really from America? New York? Miami?"

"You speak Japanese so well! Where did you learn it?"

"What's your sign, Sensei?"

Then Kain was literally saved by the bell, and a tall, slender and beautiful redhead (with hair rather more pink than red) in the front row rose and silenced the class with a few determined claps of her hands. "All right, everyone, that's enough. We'll have plenty of time to get to know Kain-sensei from now on. Now, rise…."

Kain almost hurried from the room afterwards, grateful for a bit of peace and quiet. Takamichi chuckled slightly. "Well, Kain-sensei, what do you think so far? Lively bunch, aren't they?"

"Er, yes, they do seem rather…energetic."

Takamichi laughed heartily, and then smiled at his younger counterpart. "It's good to see you again, Kain. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to greet you when you arrived."

Takamichi T. Takahata, a man of mixed ancestry, was tall, at least half a foot taller than Kain. His slicked back, blond hair topped a scruffy, stubbled face that seemed far older than the mere dozen years or so that he had over Kain. His kind, sadly smiling face was framed by a pair of square glasses, something Kain always found odd from a champion of the magic world.

"It's all right," Kain replied. "Regardless, it's very good to see you again."

Takahata nodded. "For now, you'll just be dealing with the one class, as the homeroom and English teacher. I must say that I enjoy the additional benefit of having more time to pursue my other duties." He pulled out a book. "This is the class roll. I've left you a few notes about them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I warn you, some of them can be particularly troublesome, but they're good girls.

"Since you're free the rest of the day, go ahead and take the time to walk around and get to know the place. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another class to teach."

Kain watched him go, then opened the class roll. There were the faces of nearly thirty girls, all staring back at him. It was again an intimidating thought. Kain didn't have a lot of experience with girls, especially girls his own age, except for Lina; after all, his rapid progression through his studies had left him a mere child amongst adults. He considered, briefly, the irony of the fact that now, amongst his own peers, he was the one who was required to be the adult among them….

Ah, that was the redhead he had had the encounter with this morning. Student number fourteen, Mai Tokiha. A glance around the slim book showed that Takamichi had listed the various clubs of the class; in particular, Sakura Sanada, student number eight, was in the Tea Ceremony Club, the Martial Arts Mastery Society, the Robotics Development Society, the Kendô Club, the Cuisenaire Research Society, and the Go Club. Mai Tokiha, however, had no clubs listed. Hmm…

It did, however, note that she was roommates with Kagome Higurashi and Momo Hinamori. Ah, yes…those two who were with her that morning. Ah, yes, Higurashi…yes, the principal's granddaughter. And….

Ah, that's right. He hadn't yet gone to see the principal, Kensuke Higurashi. He better go there first. Snapping the slim tome shut, he picked himself up and started towards the administrative building.

"Hmm, it's good to finally meet you, Kain-kun," the old man mumbled happily, sipping his tea. "Naturally, I've known your father for some time, since he ran around raising havoc with my son so much. I'm sure you hear that a lot."

The old man was rather too obvious of a wizard to Kain's eye…not that he should make such accusations while he wore that cloak of white. The principal had a very large, almost alien-like head, bald but with a small topknot, and a very large white beard, and he was dressed in a robe that wasn't strictly an obvious magician's robe but nonetheless was certainly not traditionally Japanese.

"Uh, yes," Kain said in response to the man's comment. He couldn't hide his mixture of incessant embarrassment mingled with pride whenever anyone mentioned his forebear.

"Of course, I heard quite a bit about you from my cousin, Konosuke. He was lavish with his praise, and is only worried about your single-mindedness." The old man trailed off and looked at Kain expectantly.

"Is that why he assigned me to teach at…this school?" Kain inquired innocently.

"Hoho!" The old man chuckled happily. "Perhaps. Konosuke consulted with me first, and I was happy to have you here. You'll be surprised what you can learn from this place if you keep your eyes open.

"Now, about the matter of your lodging…."

There was a knock at the door. "Ah, impeccable timing," the principal muttered, nodding. "Come in, ladies."

Kain turned to the door and looked in surprise as Mai, Momo, and Kagome entered the room. While the former two gazed at Kain in surprise, Kagome inquired, "You wanted to see us, grandfather?"

"Yes, yes. I assume you've already been introduced to your new teacher, Mister Kain Lockeheart. Mister Lockeheart is in need of lodgings. Unfortunately, all the rooms in the teachers' dormitory are filled. The academy is already at full capacity, in fact, except for the room next door to yours, Kagome-chan."

All four youths stared at the old man in shock. "Eh, Grandfather…" Kagome finally managed. "You can't mean…."

"Are you saying the only place is in the girls' dormitory, sir?" Kain added. "That…that can't possibly be proper…."

"Now, now, don't be so put out. Our dormitories are quite well-equipped, and each individual room has its own bath and such, so it's not as if you'll be sharing any facilities or such nonsense."

Yes, the thought of sharing a communal shower with girls his age was terrifying and would have been unthinkable, but that alone wasn't the problem. "But still…" Kain insisted.

"Mr. Principal, this has to be a mistake!" Mai cut in more strongly. "Even if he's a teacher, it's ridiculous to have a boy our age living in our dormitory! No, even if he were twice our age it would be improper!"

"Oh?" It was hard to tell under his beard, but it seemed the principal was grinning at her. His thick eyebrows rose to reveal more of his twinkling, smiling eyes as he considered the young redhead. "Rather determined, Tokiha-san. Worried that Kain-kun will try to take advantage of his position? That the virtues of you young ladies will be in danger?"

Mai was taken aback. "Er…."

"Or maybe that Kain, handsome and amazing as he is, will be in danger in middle of the sea of flowering femininity?"

"Now hold on…."

The principal laughed heartily. "Now, now, Tokiha-san. You too, Kagome-chan, Kain-kun. There is no need to worry. I know that Kain-kun is completely trustworthy, and despite all protests, it would not be a real problem to have him lodge in your building, believe me. True, I'd rather lodge him elsewhere, but as I say, we have no other empty rooms at the moment. It'll be fine."

The four attendant children finally fell into embarrassed, accepting silence. The principal nodded. "Very well. If that's settled, then, would you ladies please show Kain-kun to his new abode? Ah, and here…." The principal rummaged in his desk, and handed Kain a key. "This is for your room. Run along now!"

Kagome began to mutter, then turned and motioned for Kain to follow her. "All right, all right; this way, Kain-sensei."

Muttering herself, Mai followed. Giggling slightly, Momo brought up the rear.

"Oh, and Kain-kun?"

The party stopped short and turned quizzically back to the old man.

"I almost forgot, but how would you like to be my granddaughter's husband…?"

"This way, Kain-sensei…" Kagome repeated quickly, dragging the boy out the door.

There were only a few students currently milling about in the girls' dormitory, but those few were a few too many. Stares followed him, greatly discomfiting him, and happy conversation changed tone and volume to concerned whispers in his presence.

Kagome, who had been unofficially appointed leader of the trio (for this venture) by her grandfather, was leading the way, but Momo gravitated to the front and began to chat with Kain, helping distract him from his discomfort.

"Takahata-sensei said you graduated from Caelar University in America," she repeated conversationally. "You must be quite a genius to graduate from a university when you're only our age."

"Ah, not really," Kain laughed dismissively. "I mean, I guess…but I'm nothing compared to my father."

"Oh?"

"He graduated from the same university at age ten. I've tried my whole life to emulate him, but still, I can only do this much…."

"Here we are," Kagome announced, stopping and sweeping her hand over the door. "This is your room, two-two-one." She closed one eye and smiled slyly at Mai. "Why don't you show him the facilities, Mai?"

"Eh?" Mai started. "Me?"

"Don't you owe him for earlier this morning, Mai?"

Mai grimaced. "Eh…right…."

Kain opened the door, and followed Mai inside. Mai pointed out the amenities.

Kain was actually quite impressed. Not that he cared much for such mundane things as his place of abode—his mind was always on other things—but the room was larger than his dormitory back at the university. And this, despite the fact that those accommodations had been by no means sparse and space in Japan was its greatest premium. It was mostly just one large room, with beds in one corner, a couch and chairs in another, and a third containing a small kitchen, but it was optimized for three to live comfortably. The fourth corner was taken up by the bath, which, as the principal had noted, contained a full bath and shower all its own. There was plenty enough room for Kain alone.

Kain thanked Mai, and as she turned to leave him to his room, curiosity struck her. "Kain-sensei," she ventured, "you…don't have any luggage or anything. Where's all your stuff?"

Kain looked surprised and confused for a second, and then, for a briefest moment, he looked somewhat panicked. "Uh, ah, well…it's not here yet. But it will be soon. Right. No need to worry."

Mai stared at him for second, then turned and walked out. "Right…."

The three girls excused themselves, and Kain shut the door after them. Sighing with satisfaction, he glanced around the room again to take it all in. Then, finally, he pulled at his cloak and reached into its folds. Then, with great care and deliberation, he withdrew a large suitcase from therein…a suitcase that was obviously too large to fit in a tiny cloak pocket. Then opened that suitcase and began to draw his possessions from within. By the time he was finished, he fully furnished his room with blankets, chairs, a desk, towels, and all the rest, a total volume that couldn't possibly have fit inside the suitcase.

Kain nodded. That was fine. Now he was at home.

It was now nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. Still hours left in the day. Perhaps he ought to go ahead and explore the academy a little….

Mahora Academy was huge.

It bears mentioning. Caelar University was small, enclosed, and private. Mahora was nearly a town all on its own—a mixed primary (as the Japanese called elementary) school; two separate middle schools, for boys and girls; two separate high schools, for boys and girls; and even a university, coed again. Each school had several hundred students….

Entire buildings dedicated to clubs and sub-groups surrounding the main academic buildings. He could hardly count them all….

And, of course, nearly twelve different dormitory buildings, some built more like apartments than regular dormitories, wilderness on all sides, a lake at the north of the school, even more that Kain could only wonder at….

And in the center of it all stood the great Mahora Tree, a true wonder of the world. As was natural for a Japanese school, the students had a staggering amount of myths and rumors about the tree, but in this case, Kain knew, it was almost fact. The tree was magical, a true Mana Tree, and was one of the first trees planted by the ancient mages of the region. Kain wasn't aware of its full history…as he stood there, gazing with wonder upon it, he decided he should use some of his free time to research it.

He tore himself away and continued his investigation. Ah, there—the great Mahora Library. It, too, was legendary, interestingly. It was rare, perhaps, for a library to achieve legendary status—perhaps the first since that of Alexandria—but it was also true. Within its walls, supposedly, lurked entire civilizations of books, with sub-basements and dungeons. Several of his students belonged to the 'Library Exploration Club', which, he had learned from his brief studies, was a club dedicated to exploring those mysterious depths of the library. How interesting….

Oh, and, as they say, speak of the devil. That was one of the aforementioned club members, student number 24, Nodoka Miyazaki, heading down the steps towards the library…and she seemed far too overburdened by that stack of books she was carrying….

Ah…another tiring day. Of course, it was her fault, rushing off right after school for this, but still….

As Mai came up the steps into the girls' middle school section, she saw Nodoka Miyazaki not twenty feet away from her. As she was coming down the steps towards the library, she tripped. Mai watched in horror as the girl began to turn over, the books flying everywhere….

She really wasn't sure what happened next. It was all very fast and confusing…some sort of surreal dream. A sudden wind surrounded the girl and her descent slowed considerably. Then Kain was there, underneath her, and she settled calmly into his arms.

Nodoka's eyes were shut tight, and she seemed to have already passed out or fainted from the fright. After a few moments, she stirred and opened her eyes. "Kain…sensei?" she managed.

Kain wasn't really paying attention to the girl any longer, however. He was staring at Mai, who was staring back at him in shock. Mai recovered first.

"Honya!" Mai yelled, running forward. Honya, Japanese for 'bookstore', was the nickname for the librarian girl commonly used by her classmates, much to her displeasure. "Are you all right?"

"Uh…er…yeah…."

Kain set her down, and she managed enough strength in her legs to keep her feet. "Quite a fall you took there," he murmured carefully, his eyes not leaving Mai. "You need to be more careful."

"Here," Mai continued, ignoring the look. "We'll help you carry all these."

Almost gratefully, Kain helped her gather them up, and soon the three of them, the load of books shared equally between them, were making their way back towards the library.

Nodoka was a shy, introverted girl, slight and just a little short, and rather unremarkable overall. Her dark violet hair was very short, at least in back, but her bangs were long, covering her eyes, allowing her to hide behind them and giving her the look of a small, timid sheep dog, especially with the extra-long strips on either side of her head. She nervously thanked Kain for saving her, then thanked the two of them for helping her carry her books, and then she fell silent. Kain, somewhat nervously, tried to fill the silence by asking about her strange burden; she replied that she was just transferring these books to the girls' middle school branch of the library.

"You mean this isn't the main library?" Kain asked, amazed.

"No," Nodoka replied, her voice coming more freely and confidently as she began to discuss the library. "Each branch of Mahora Academy has its own wing of the library. The main library is located at the center of the academy, at Library Island…."

"Ah! Nodoka." They had entered the main hall of the library, and someone was moving to intercept them…or Nodoka, at least. It was student number two, Yue Ayase. She was the second smallest member of the class, almost the same size as an primary schooler, and her hair was, while of nearly identical violet color (just a shade or two lighter), the opposite in form to Nodoka's—her large forehead was bare, but her hair fell behind her nearly to her feet and was separated into two massive pigtails that were, in fact, nearly as large as the girl herself. She had two, much smaller pigtails on the front of her head on either side.

She stopped a few feet short of the trio, as if just noticing Mai and Kain's presence. "Oh? Tokiha-san? And…Kain-sensei?" She regarded them calmly but quizzically.

"Miyazaki-san was having trouble carrying all these books," Kain explained quickly. "Tokiha-san and I were passing by and saw her plight, so we decided to help out. Where would you like them?"

"Are those the books? Over here, please." Another student was calling them, and the three brought their stacks to the indicated tables. They set the books down, exchanged the usual ritualistic Japanese acknowledgements, and Mai and Kain excused themselves.

The third student, Ami Mizuno, student number twenty-five, watched them go with interest. Her hair was short, as short as Nodoka's without the bangs, and blue, almost blue-green, making her the most markedly different of the trio, although otherwise she, too, had no features that really stood out. She turned her blue eyes to Nodoka, who was watching Kain disappear rather intently. "Something the matter, Nodoka?"

Nodoka started. "Eh…no…it's just…I nearly had a bad fall, and…Kain-sensei saved me from getting badly hurt…that's all…."

"Really." Yue smiled ever so slightly at this news. Nodoka, who had always been quite afraid of men, seemed to have an interest in one? "It seems Kain-sensei isn't wasting his time settling in here…."

Meanwhile, Mai and Kain silently exited the building. Finally Kain cleared his throat, but Mai beat him to the punch, grabbing him and pulling him around a corner, out of sight of the few passing students.

"Okay, just what was that?" she hissed.

"Er…what was what?"

"Don't play with me! You did something back there! Something like magic!"

"Magic? Don't be silly! Magic doesn't exist…."

Mai began to shake him. "Don't…give…me…that! I saw it, plain as day! I'm not sure what I saw, but…."

Kain sucked in his breath and calmly laid a hand on Mai's wrist, startling her to stillness. "You aren't sure what you saw? Well, Tokiha-san, do you believe in magic, really? Whatever you saw, why do you believe it's magic?"

Mai didn't reply or resist as Kain pulled her hands off him. "Lots of people believe in 'magic', but they mean prestidigitation, or fortune-telling, silly little tricks, nothing with power, but I don't think that's what you think you saw. If something wondrous, some 'magic', existed that had power to unnerve you like this, why don't people acknowledge it? How could such a wondrous power, if it exists, remain hidden?

"Do you really want to know about it, Tokiha-san? Do you really want to see magic?" Kain reached into the folds of his cloak, and impossibly, drew out a staff nearly as tall as he was. It was fashioned of some wood—Mai wasn't a botanist—and was topped by a perfectly spherical crystal, shimmering and shifting through a multitude of bright Technicolors.

Mai stared at the orb on top of the staff with horrified fascination. "Naturally, if magic exists, it must be kept secret. How do you suppose that is done? Would you like to see some fascinating magic? In cases like this, memory-erasing magic, 'forgetfulness' magic, can be used to protect the secret. Of course, messing with people's minds is dangerous. The best mind mages just leave the processed dazed and out of it for a few days. I haven't spent much time with it, to be honest, so I'm not that careful…I'm afraid that I might leave you…well…let's just say your grades might suffer a bit…."

They stood there, frozen like statues, for several moments. Then Kain smiled and murmured, "Just kidding…."

He shoved his staff back inside his cloak, leaving no trace of the five-foot stick. "Well, that is maybe what happens in a worst-case scenario," Kain explained glibly as Mai's feelings began to shift from fear to confusion to rising indignation. "To be honest, I'd rather avoid that. Truthfully, Tokiha-san, it's better for everyone if you forget about this incident on your own and don't ever bring it up…I suppose you could try to expose me, tell the world what you saw, or something, but no one would think to do anything about it…one such witness would be received by pretty much the entire world as a crackpot. So, can we just forget about the incident…please?" Kain put his hands together and lowered his head.

Mai had been scared witless by Kain's threatening 'joke', and now that anger had replaced that fear she held onto it for defense, despite Kain's conciliatory tone. "What, just like that?" she demanded sharply. "That wasn't funny…."

"Please?" Kain repeated calmly, almost pleadingly.

Mai sighed and huffed. "Fine," she muttered. "I get it. So…you're really a…a magician, or something?"

"Mahôjutsushi in your Japanese, generally magus or mage for short," Kain replied, holding up a finger and twirling it in the air a little. A light blue circle of light followed the path of his finger, shining in the air briefly, before fading out. Mai couldn't figure out what the purpose of the minor but obviously magical gesture was. "I suppose, to help buy your silence, I can tell you a bit about it…about us. Let's not stay here anymore…I'll tell you a bit on the way home."

Mai agreed, and listened as they walked and Kain quietly continued, "The university I graduated from is actually a magic university. I signed up for a post-graduate training program for developing master mages, or 'Archmages', and the task I was given was…well, to be a teacher here."

Mai blinked once or twice in confusion. "To teach…English…here?" She shook her head and pinched her nose. "I can hardly believe that. It just doesn't make sense. Why?"

"Don't ask me," Kain replied levelly. "I just got the instructions. I must admit I'm a bit confused myself, but if that's my task, I have to do it as best I can."

"I guess, but…why here? This is just a normal school, isn't it?" She stopped suddenly as she began to think, to really think, about the unusual aspects of the school she attended. She'd been here at Mahora for pretty much her entire life, for as long as she could remember, so much of it was natural to her, but as she considered it certain parts of it were unlike anything she'd heard or read about anywhere else in the world, except perhaps for certain fantastic fiction. "Isn't it?" she repeated, almost pleaded, to Kain.

Kain shrugged. "I don't know, honestly. I shouldn't say too much. Most of the students at this academy are, I believe, completely normal, no magic at all, but some…well, not all are normal. I'm not even sure of how many, but I already have some suspicions. You shouldn't worry about it, though. I only just started learning about Mahora after I found out I'd be coming here to teach, but I'm pretty sure nothing truly unusual or dangerous could happen here."

"Eh…right…." Mai sighed. "You're right…it is better if I just forget about this. But…magic…." She got a thoughtful look on her face.

"If you're thinking I could use magic to help you out with something like a love potion or endless amounts of money, you'd better forget about that, too.

"Eh?! What?! No, I'd never…!"

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" Kain laughed a little. "Sorry. It's just…I think that's a common reaction to magic, at least from what I read. When I'm in the normal world, around normal people, I shouldn't use my magic much, and not at all openly…."

"You mean, like you just did the first day, right in front of two of your students? I think Honya had already fainted, and no one else was around to see, but even so, it seems you're doing a wonderful job of that so far, oh great Kain-sensei."

Kain winced at the truth of her words and fumbled for a retort. Mai laughed at his discomfiture, feeling a little bit vindicated after Kain's earlier threat. "Well, that was an emergency, I must admit. If you hadn't used your magic there, Honya would probably have been seriously hurt. If that's the kind of stuff you're determined to use your magic for, I think I probably should cooperate and not cause much trouble for you. I gotta go. See ya, sensei."

Mai trotted off, seemingly in good spirits. Kain stared after her for a few moments, then sighed. He then smiled a small, curious smile. "Mai Tokiha," he murmured to himself. "Something about her is…different. It seems this will be an interesting experience after all at this school."

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Mai Tokiha

Asuna Kagurazaka is the main heroine of Mahou Sensei Negima. She is a good character, but I am keeping very few of the original class (only three, to be exact, the three of my favorites that are most fitting and _irreplaceable).

Mai Tokiha of My-HiME is my favorite anime character of all time, and so she gets the heroine role. She makes a fine replacement for Asuna, as they are both red-headed and hot-tempered to boot. They both are dedicated part-time workers as well, self-confident and proud girls who are going to school on others' paychecks and are determined to pay their debts pack in some way or other. Mai, like Kain, is assuming much of the original character's past (but not all of it…although, almost spoiler foreshadow, the My-HiME storyline has some interesting similarities…), so, with her orphaning, she has no little brother Takumi taking up her time and energy, nor does she have a wild little tag-along like Mikoto.

Interestingly, if Negi was kept intact, or if Kain were Negi's age, Mai's maternal instinct and mothering care transferred to Kain would actually work very well, too. But, I just can't stand the shôtacon-ism, so I'm tossing it. But I digress….

Mai will work at an 'Anna Miller's' café, a café string in Japan known for its cute waitresses and their special dresses. Mai's café in My-HiME is, I believe, an Anna Miller's, or patterned after it. You may wonder if Anna Miller's actually employs middle school students (which Mai is in this story). I don't know, either, and honestly, I doubt it, as high school seems to be the minimum age for most such jobs, but I don't care; it fits the story and Mai's original character better. It's a world with magic; so what if there's an 'Anna Miller's Jr.' for middle school students? We'll say that's what it is….

The original, Asuna, was also horribly obsessed with (or in love with, if you prefer) their former teacher, Takamichi. Mai is not assuming the mantle of her obsession. True, it cuts some plot threads loose and such, but I will just have to stretch myself replacing them. It's too weird a thing for me to put Mai into….

I made mention several times of the uniform. This is a unique uniform of my design, not the original dark maroon jacket and plaid skirt. I just wanted to have this particular uniform color scheme. So sue me.

Okay, moving on….


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Two: Meeting the Class

The next day was Friday, but Kain wasn't actually scheduled to start teaching until the next Monday. He didn't mind the extra few days before his start—the school was absolutely huge, and he appreciated the opportunity to see a little more of it.

He thought he might also step into Class 2-A and watch Takamichi at work for a while.

It was still early as he wandered about the school grounds; class had started, however, so Kain had the area all to himself. He found himself drifting towards a tall building on the south side of the gigantic campus; a tall clock tower. He could see a balcony on the top floor, revealing that the high point was some sort of important place, although he had not yet had the opportunity to learn what it was. He hardly knew what any of the buildings were….

"That's quite an impressive building," he said aloud, wistfully. "The view from the top must be amazing; it might even be possible to see the entire school! I'd love to visit the top someday…."

"I'm afraid that wouldn't normally be possible, Kain-sensei. Only the student councils are allowed up there."

Kain started and glanced around wildly, wondering where this strange, intruding voice had come from. "Up here," the voice continued, and Kain finally looked up to the top of the tree behind him.

A girl stood on a sturdy high branch, desperately clinging to the side of the great trunk. She was dressed in the Mahora Middle School girls' red jacket and white skirt. She had long dark pink hair and dark green eyes. While rather tall, her form was the antithesis of Mai Tokiha—as noted, the latter was quite prominently well-endowed, but this girl was quite thin, flat-chested and boyish by comparison, although she looked athletic. "And what are you doing here, Kain-sensei?"

And Kain recognized her. "You—you're Katsura Hinagiku, student number five. You're the Mahora Middle School girls' Student Body President.

"Ah, so you know all about me. As expected of a genius child teacher," Hinagiku murmured.

"Well, that aside, I'm just exploring the school," Kain continued, "…but why are you up there?"

Hinagiku looked rather embarrassed. "And your powers of perception are superb," she muttered, but although Kain would have thought the words were sarcastic, she seemed rigidly serious. And embarrassed.

"Well," she finally continued, "trees are actually quite easy to climb, with rough bark and so many low branches, but while you're climbing, only looking up at your goal, you don't realize how high you've climbed once you get to the top…."

An interesting reasoning, Kain thought. "You sound like a cat that's climbed a tree and gotten afraid of coming down," he said aloud.

Hinagiku, red-faced, burst out angrily, "Don't say it so bluntly! It makes me sound like an idiot! They say only smoke and idiots like high places, but I'm not an idiot!"

I never said you were, Kain thought again, and at the same time tried to piece her outburst into sense before recalling the odd Japanese proverb she was citing.

"In any case," she continued, calming a little, "You're supposed to be our new teacher, a child genius who is also amazing athletically…."

Where'd she hear that from? Kain wondered.

"…So, I have a favor to ask."

"And what would that be?"

"C-catch me…."

With a bit of shriek, Hinagiku leapt from the tree and right on top of Kain.

Although Kain was completely caught off guard by this action and affrighted by the living missile, he was not some unlucky butler-in-debt but a truly stellar human specimen, both mentally and physically, just as Hinagiku had said. And, of course, he was aided by a little special something Hinagiku did not know about….

She had never before jumped out of a tree on top of someone, so she wasn't sure how she might be saved, but she wasn't expecting Kain's response. He managed to reach out and catch her about the waist, while at the same time spinning himself. This motion allowed him to safely transfer Hinagiku's high kinetic energy, and a moment later he set her down safely, panting out of spent adrenalin.

"Er…thank you…" Hinagiku offered, amazed. "That was…."

"What were you thinking?!" Kain exploded. "That was dangerous! You're lucky I was actually able to catch you! You could have hurt me, or, worse and more likely, yourself! Why would you jump out of a tree like that?!"

Hinagiku's face reddened once again, and she had the decency to avoid his gaze. "I-I'm sorry…but I was so scared…I'm afraid of heights. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted out of the tree."

Kain sighed and bent over, breathing deeply for a few moments, trying to calm himself from his mixture of fright and anger.

"Well, all's well that ends well," he finally muttered as he rose. "But isn't that rather…er, unladylike, to climb a tree in a skirt? Not to mention, jump from it?"

"Eh? Oh, that's no issue. I wear shorts underneath my skirt." She hiked up her skirt to show the teacher.

Indeed, Hinagiku was modestly covered under the rather criminal Japanese school uniform, but the action still caused Kain to flush violently and look away. "W-what are you doing?! Ladies…should have more modesty…."

"Oh? What's this?" Hinagiku cried, delightedly surprised. "You seem quite naïve. Does our great teacher have the sensibilities of a primary schooler?"

"Please don't tease me with things like that," Kain muttered, trying to recover his dignity. "I've never been around girls my age, so please spare me my immature 'sensibilities'."

"Sorry, sorry," Hinagiku placated him. "I apologize…."

"In any case," Kain continued, "if you were scared, you didn't need to jump from the tree. If you had only said so, I would have gone up and rescued you."

"Oh?" Hinagiku's eyes danced as she considered her teacher. "So if I ask, you'll rescue me?"

"But," Kain said, "if you're scared of heights, why did you climb up into that tree, Katsura-san?"

"What choice did I have?" she replied, pointing. "That bird had fallen out of its nest."

Kain glanced up and saw the baby bird. "Ah," he said. "So, that's why you climbed a tree, even though you couldn't climb down?"

Now it was Hinagiku's turn to flush again. "Are you making fun of me?" she demanded.

"No," he replied, smiling at her. "I'm genuinely impressed, Katsura-san."

Pouting slightly, Hinagiku turned away, but put in, "Call me Hinagiku." When Kain looked surprised, she added, "There's another, much higher-profile Katsura here at Mahora, so everyone calls me by my given name. So, Kain-sensei, since we're going to be seeing so much of each other, you should call me that, too."

Another Katsura, and higher profile than this strong-willed girl? Kain thought. And who is that?

"He's a damn thief, that's who he is!"

Meia, lounging (appropriately enough) in the teacher's lounge, looked up at her colleague. "Who is a thief, Katsura-sensei?" she asked the other woman.

Her colleague was somewhat larger in most dimensions than the average Japanese female, with short silver hair down to the nape of her neck and carefully parted down the middle into the two sides. She wore a wide-collared teal jacket with a visible undershirt of some kind covering her collarbones and pearl slacks.

"That new teacher-in-training!" Yukiji Katsura shrieked, pounding the table. "Takamichi is always running off working for that NGO, right? And who is it that always substitutes for his class? Me, of course! Substituting his class provides me with a substantial pay increase over my meager salary! Now that we have this brat here taking his class, my substitute classes will go down! Therefore, my pay will decrease!

"Well, I won't stand for this! I'm going to do something about it!"

With that, Yukiji ran out of the room.

Meia just looked after her, sipping her coffee. "Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll fire her and use Kain-kun to replace her," she said aloud.

"Ah, so that's a student council building," Kain said, nodding. "That figures."

"Yes," Hinagiku agreed. "But, really, whose stupid idea was it to put the girls' middle school's student council room on the top floor?"

Ah, with Hinagiku afraid of heights, that would be a bad place for her, Kain thought.

"In any case," she continued, oblivious to his analysis, "would you like to go up there, Kain-sensei?"

"Eh? But, you said…."

"Well, you are a teacher here, so naturally you can go where you like…at least you can if I invite you."

"Oh, but…."

"Kain-sensei, you've got to take the opportunity to spoil yourself every once in a while, or you'll never find happiness," Hinagiku scolded him. "You said you wanted to go up there, right? And I owe you for saving me back there. So, allow me to reward you with this small token."

Kain stared for a second, and finally offered a small smile. "Very well, K—Hinagiku-san. I commit myself to your care."

"Now, here is the situation," Yukiji instructed her charges. "A snot-nosed, incompetent teacher has invaded our school. Before he causes any problems, we have to drive him away. Or execute him, aku soku zan-style."

Her charges consisted of Kyonosuke Kaoru, a PE teacher for the girls' middle school, and class 2-A's student number one, Riza Asakaze, student number ten, Izumi Segawa, and student number seventeen, Miki Hanabishi. Not the most reliable team of comrades, Yukiji would have thought, but of course, many others would have said the same thing about her.

"Kaoru-sensei, what's wrong with Katsura-chan?" Izumi asked. She was the middle-sized of the trio, with medium-length purple hair tied in two adorable side pigtails set with round beads.

"You got me," Kyonosuke muttered. He was a rather nondescript man in his mid-twenties, with messy brown hair and an appropriate PE out of light pants and a sweater.

"In any case, we have to find him. He hasn't started teaching yet, thank goodness, so he might be lost somewhere on the grounds…."

"Hey, Katsura…" said Kyonosuke.

"What is it, Nawaya?" she replied, naming Kyonosuke after an incompetent anime detective.

"Not this again. Look, he's a properly appointed teacher-in-training. Why do we have to do anything about it? You'll almost certainly get in trouble if you do anything stupid."

"I already explained that last page. No more time to waste; Segawa-san, you search for him inside our school. Hanabishi-san, you search the gymnasium, and Asakaze-san, you search the library."

"Roger!" responded Izumi cheerfully.

"You're actually going to do it?" Miki muttered. The shortest of the trio, Miki had long silver hair swept back with a headband and was as slight as Hinagiku, but obviously more frail as well.

"Why not? Better than going to class," said Riza Asakaze, the tallest of the trio, with short dark brown hair.

"And Nawaya, you're pretty dense, so why don't you look for Tokugawa's buried treasure instead. As for me…I'm going up to the top of the student council building so I can look over the whole school…."

"Wow! What a view!"

"Yes, it's dazzling, isn't it?"

"You can see almost the entire school from here! Oh, there's the Mahora tree! Even it looks small! Oh, and that must be the Library Island! I see! So that's where it is…."

"Yes, the view is magnificent, isn't it? Doesn't the beauty almost make you forget to blink?"

Kain turned from the balcony to look at Hinagiku, who was reclining well within the room, sipping tea by a table. "You can't see much of anything from over there," he said accusingly.

"It's all right…I'm seeing it from my mind's eye."

"I see…but it's such a view. You really can see the entirety of the school…."

"Yes, the student council room here exists so we can watch all the students."

"Hinagiku-san, have you ever really looked from here?"

"I don't need to. I'm guided by my inner voice."

Kain sighed, but smiled all the same. "If you say so," he said. He looked out again at the milling students. "Ah, it looks like classes are changing. Going to PE, it seems." He paused and thought of something. "Hinagiku-san, shouldn't you be going to class as well?"

Hinagiku paused in mid-sip, then started to flush again. "S-shut up! I couldn't go to class because I was rescuing Cha-bo when classes started! It's too embarrassing to walk into class in the middle of a session!"

"Ah…what an endearing preoccupation with image," Kain chuckled. As Hinagiku shot daggers at him, he continued, "But who's Cha-bo?"

"Cha-bo is that bird I rescued."

'Cha-bo' was essentially a name adaptation of Japanese words for 'brown' and 'child'. The name 'brown child' for a brown bird. "How simplistic…."

"S-shut up! Simple, easy-to-remember names are important, right?"

Kain could only chuckle at the embarrassed girl. Once she had settled down again, Kain excused himself and announced that he should be going. "I have so much more of the school to see. I should like to get back to it. And you, Hinagiku-san, should get back to class."

"Right," Hinagiku replied, barely blushing this time. "In any case, Kain-sensei, you are welcome to return any time."

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose…."

"You're a teacher here, Kain-sensei…believe me, you wouldn't be imposing, especially compared to some of our other teachers. If you ever need the help of the student council, don't hesitate to call on us."

"Right." Kain took his cloak from the coat hook where he had placed it. "I'll remember that—"

"A-HA!"

Kain and Hinagiku started as the figure exploded from the doorway. She was a tall woman with short, white-silver hair and light blue eyes. Otherwise, her most distinctive feature was the strange mark on her forehead.

"Onee-chan? What's the matter?" Hinagiku demanded.

Yukiji, ignoring her, crowed at Kain. "I've found you, trespasser! I won't allow you to decrease my pay. En garde!" For whatever reason, pair of decorative swords hung by the door, and she scooped one up and attacked Kain with it.

Hinagiku, with speed that impressed even Kain, grabbed the other sword and parried her sister's strike before it landed. "What is the meaning of this, onee-chan?" she demanded. "This is an official teacher here, and my personal guest!"

"I already explained all my reasons, and I don't have time to repeat myself! If you betray me, Hina, I won't show mercy on you, even if you are my sister!"

"Ah, won't show mercy?" Hinagiku replied. "You took the words out of my mouth." With an interesting combination of kendô and fencing, she forced her older, larger sister backward.

"Tch! You are good, Hina…."

"Of course. The only thing I lose to you is the useless years piled on to your age." As Yukiji flinched from that blow, Hinagiku pressed, "Anyway, when are you going to return that twenty thousand yen I loaned you last month?"

"Ack! You—you're holding Yukichi hostage!"

"I am not."

"Yukichi was very influential! His book sold over 3.4 million copies…."

"I don't care."

Kain could only watch this odd street theater in disbelief. And, of course, the comment about the man on the ten-thousand yen bill, the Japanese equivalent of Benjamin Franklin on the hundred dollar bill, passed right over his head.

"Um…it looks like you two are having fun, but I really don't want to be here all day, so I'm just going to go before I get any more involved…."

"A-HA!" Katsura-sensei swooped in and, before Kain could blink, snatched his cloak from his hand with the tip of her sword. In a bound she was at the balcony, and jumped up on the railing.

"Hey! Wait!" Kain cried in frustration, hardly believing that the woman could move faster than he could react. "Not that! That cloak is the only memento I have of my father…."

"Oh? You want it back?" Yukiji teased, waving it now from her left hand.

"Onee-chan! Give that back!"

"Why don't you come here and take it, Hina? Oh? You can't? Well, if you can't come here, then how about you just hand him over; and, while you're at it, you can forget about that twenty thousand yen you loaned me."

Hinagiku scowled. "D-don't underestimate me! I am Katsura Hinagiku, Student Council President for the Mahora Academy girls' middle school! I will not allow you to disrespect a teacher and my guest in such a manner!"

"Heh, that's my sister for you…."

But at that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew past, actually picking up Yukiji and almost gently, poetically tossing her from the tower.

"Onee-chan!" Hinagiku shrieked.

To her amazement, Kain was there in a bound, hanging from the balcony with one hand while holding Yukiji with the other. "Goodness," he murmured. "That was careless…Katsura-sensei, is it?"

He swung Yukiji easily back onto the balcony, then pulled himself up with athletic grace. Yukiji stared at him. "I-impressive," she murmured. "As expected of a genius child teacher…."

"You're welcome," Kain muttered, picking his cloak off the ground and swinging it around his shoulders. "I have no idea what problem you had with me, but shall we consider ourselves even?"

Hinagiku, meanwhile, had collapsed to her knees out of shock. "Yokata…yokata," she murmured. "Thank you, Kain-sensei, for saving my sister…."

"Eh, what's with the cloak?" Yukiji asked. "I was quite afraid I dropped it over the side….."

"Don't know. Maybe the wind blew it in or something…I didn't see since I was rather preoccupied…."

Kain finally escaped from the Student Council Building and the Katsura sisters and made it back to the school grounds. "That was…rather interesting," Kain muttered. "Hinagiku-san…is quite stubborn. She rather reminds me of Lina…."

He shook his head again. "And she thought it would be boring here. I've barely been here a day, I haven't even started teaching, and already I'm having adventures. What will happen to me next, I wonder?"

His next few hours passed by without too much incident. Finally, around 3:30 in the afternoon, school ended the classes started to empty. This is another opportunity, Kain thought. He had already learned a little about the clubs and activities at the school—even though the boys' and girls' schools were separated, it turned out that many of the clubs were coed, giving the students an opportunity to mingle. Furthermore, there were many buildings dedicated specifically to the clubs and activities. And there were a lot of them—over two hundred, Kain had heard. It was rather mind-boggling.

But, he really didn't get to see much of the clubs up to now. He had been busy unpacking during the after-school hours yesterday, and up to this point, naturally, all the classes were in session, so the clubs were void of members. Now was his first chance to see them in action, and he would probably start with some of the clubs of his class….

He had come to this conclusion while taking a break in his room. He exited and started to make his way out when a sudden voice hailed him. "Kain-sensei! Hold it right there!"

The directness of this cheerful assault surprised him, and he complied out of pure shock, turning to his assailant. "Eh?"

Another semi-familiar face stared back at him. A short, slender brown-eyed girl with short brown hair smiled at him. "You're…student number twenty-six, Yûki Kanade. Pleased to meet you."

After Kanade returned the greeting, Kain continued, "You recognized me instantly, Yûki-san."

Kanade laughed. "Of course!" she replied cheerfully. "C'mon, Sensei, how many boys are allowed here in the girls' dorm, huh?"

"Ah…I suppose so…."

"And this is the perfect opportunity to introduce myself," Kanade added. "You may not be aware, Sensei, since you just arrived, but I am the officially-appointed dorm supervisor for this floor!

"Most of the girls are just interested in you, but there are some that are worried about a teenage boy staying in our dorm, sensei or not. It's my duty to reassure them, and therefore it's my duty to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't try anything funny while you're staying here! If I catch you breaking our dorm rules, I'll give you a discipline sticker!" She flourished the aforementioned sticker, a well-made but somewhat childish-looking demonic or ogrish decal she probably made herself.

Kain flushed and stiffened, and bowed deeply. "I-I am sorry; I will do my best not to inconvenience you or the rest of the girls any…."

Kanade laughed at his discomfiture. "I'm joking. Mostly. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt…for now.

"And where are you off to now, Kain-sensei?" she continued, dismissing her disciplinary threats.

It took Kain a few moments longer to switch gears, but finally he collected himself and responded. "I was thinking of seeing some of the clubs here at Mahora…and visiting my new students in those clubs."

"Oh, you want to see our clubs now? A good choice! I'll be your guide, Sensei, if you'll have me."

"Oh…thank you. I'm in your care."

Kanade nodded. "I'll meet you in front of the dorm. I have to pick something up first!"

That 'something' was a person, Kanade's sister, Haruna Yûki, or, as Kanade introduced her, "My waifu, Hina-chan!" Haruna, despite being a year younger than Kanade, was slightly taller and significantly…more mature, a distinction Kain didn't comment on; her hair and eyes were the same color, but she wore her hair long, about as long as Kagome did. She was also demure, quiet and peaceful, quite the opposite of her older sister.

Kain didn't need an explanation as to why Kanade needed her sister. He had seen, back home, a few similar sibling groups—pairs that were completely inseparable, and obviously Kanade had something in her life that had given her a fierce attachment to her sister.

Kanade chattered incessantly about all the various clubs as she started to lead Kain and her sister around the campus. She asked Kain if he had any he wished to visit first, but Kain deferred, allowing Kanade to choose her own path. As she considered out loud which would be best to see first, she trailed off suddenly. A crowd was gathering at a field between two buildings, a crowd that including various types of recording equipment…cameras, lights, microphones, et cetera.

"Oh, is it one of those days?" Kanade wondered aloud. "That's great! Come this way. You'll hear something really great."

Kain cautiously followed Kanade as she bounded up to the crowd. "Is this a…special club?" he asked.

"No, not a special club. Just a special student. Behold!"

Kain was young and short for his age, at least for young members of his race, but his height wasn't so lacking in Japan, and he was soon able to find a spot in the crowd that gave him an unobstructed view. There he saw another girl, dressed in a white dress with detached sleeves, sitting on a hastily-assembled but cunningly-made set, a type of small gazebo—she was perched on its white bench. She was of somewhat above-average height and build, with long pink hair of a somewhat lighter hue than Hinagiku's and bright blue eyes. Despite the crowd, cameras, lights, and obvious import of the scene around her, she was sitting calmly, demurely, waiting for…her cue, likely.

"Oh, that's class member six, Rakasu Klein," Kain remarked.

"That's right!" declared Kanade, who had managed to find a place next to Kain in the crowd. "The great idol Rakasu Klein is in our class!"

"Er…great idol?"

"What, you never heard of Rakasu Klein?" Kanade demanded in shock.

"Er…to be honest, I'm not really very aware of Japanese pop idols…" Kain admitted.

Kanade calmed down. "Oh, that's right. You're not even from Japan…oh, hush, she's starting!"

And Rakasu began to sing. It was a peaceful, sweet song; Kain had, as he mentioned, limited experience with Japanese music, but he knew that Japanese pop idols, especially young women, generally did fast-paced rock or techno-like beats, but this seemed…a type of ballad, or something. Kain found himself lost in the song.

It was over after a lifetime of a moment that seemed too short. There was a little polite applause, but overall the crowd venerated the unique idol with a unique and respectful silence. Rakasu rose, bowed and thanked the crowd, and was led away by a group of suited followers while the working crew packed up the equipment. Kanade turned and began to lead her charges away, and, without a word, Kain obediently followed.

"Amazing, isn't she?" Kanade mentioned finally.

"Yeah…" Kain breathed. "Is that, um, usual?"

"Oh, no, not at all. Rakasu-chan does most of her recording at regular studios and everything, just like normal artists, but because of her image, sometimes they like to do them in natural states like these."

"A real live idol in my class…it's just full of interesting people."

"Hehe…you ain't seen nothin' yet, Sensei."

"Ah, the Tea Ceremony Club?" Kain remarked. "Of course, I've heard a bit about Japanese tea ceremony, but…."

"But never experienced it, right?" Kanade leaned in and whispered, "Well, actually, I think it's ridiculous, boring, and outdated, but…." She leaned away and declared out loud, "There is an amazing person you need to meet here!"

"Oh? And who is this amazing person, Yûki-san?"

"Oh, c'mon, Saku…."

A girl about Kanade's size approached. She was dressed in full Japanese ceremonial kimono—not the entire regalia of a bride, but the many layers for lesser ceremonies, several more than casual dress. Her hair was a dark red, almost maroon, like a mixed pool of red and black blended perfectly together. It was long, but was packed carefully in a bun and, quite remarkably, coifed by a white cloth. Her eyes were bright and blue.

The girl smiled at Kanade, then turned to Haruna. "Yûki-imôto-san," she greeted her. Then she turned to Kain. "And Kain-sensei. We are honored to have you visit us. Sanada Sakura, at your service."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sanada-san. I am in your care," Kain formally greeted his student, number eight in the class role. "You're with the Tea Ceremony Club today?"

"Today?" Sakura smiled impishly at him. Her eyes seemed to dance merrily in their sockets. The school was full of lively girls, his class quite so as well, but this girl….

"Er…you…I understand you are a part of a great many clubs…."

"Yes! That's right!" Kanade crowed, grasping Sakura by the shoulders from behind and slapping her lightly on the back repeatedly. "Saku is our amazing superwoman! Sports, academics, and all forms of clubs, it doesn't matter what it is, Saku is unstoppable! Even the other superwomen, Hi-chô and Eririn can't compare!"

"Er…Hi-chô and Eririn…?"

"Katsura Hinagiku-kaichô and Sendô Erika-fukukaichô," Sakura explained. "Although, to answer your question, I try to spread my time to all my activities as best I can." Then, to Kanade, "Please, Yûki-san, that's enough!"

Haruna helped remove her sister from the kimono-clad girl and calmed her down. "In any case, would you like to experience a tea ceremony, Kain-sensei?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

In truth, Kain did find the tea ceremony somewhat lacking in excitement…although subdued by the atmosphere of Japan, Kain was an energetic, anxious person himself, and was naturally fidgety. However, years of training in magic had taught him control and willpower, and he was able to entertain himself with rolling thoughts during the most monotonous portions of the ceremony. Haruna seemed perfectly at home here, while Kanade, after unsuccessfully attempting to excuse herself from the ceremony, couldn't stop squirming.

But Kain had other things to help distract him from the lack of motion and activity; the area set apart for the Tea Ceremony Club was ideal, an enclosed building of purely Japanese design with a Japanese garden pond, complete with the rocking bamboo water fountain, called a sôzu. Sakura, too, completed the scene perfectly. Although she seemed likely half-American or of other Western descent, her pale skin and slender form fit her red-on-blue kimono perfectly, giving the serene appearance of a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, or 'ideal beauty' of the Japanese culture. It was quite a pleasant scene to take in, and Kain thoroughly enjoyed it. Doing it regularly would likely drive him crazy. But this one experiment with preserved Japanese culture quite thrilled him.

"Ah, my legs are about to fall off," Kanade moaned as they left the scene.

"You're exaggerating, Onee-chan," Haruna giggled.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, then looked slyly at Kain. "Well, did you enjoy that, Kain-sensei?"

"Oh, yes! It's quite something to be able to participate in some parts of ancient Japanese culture."

"Yep. And Saku's great, isn't she?"

"Er…I suppose so. I didn't get much chance to speak with her, of course…."

"Yes, but she certainly was taking the chance to check you out, eh, eh?" Kanade teased. Kain looked at her, baffled. "I've never seen Saku show that much interest in anyone before. Of course, you're unique, a fourteen-year-old teacher and all, but still…she really was interested in you."

"I-I'm sorry, I don't quite understand…."

"Well, be careful, teachers shouldn't do things like that with their students; any funny business and I'll have to discipline you…."

"Look, Onee-chan!" Haruna interrupted. "We're by the lacrosse field. Shall we see if we can spot Harada-senpai?"

Luckily for Kain, Haruna succeeded in distracting her sister from her teasings. "Oh! Right. Let's go see Ri-chin."

Lacrosse? Another interesting novelty to Kain; there weren't many sports at Caelar University. Contrary to modern popular fiction, mages generally did not waste time inventing bizarre magic-driven sports. "Ri-chin?" he asked to verify.

"Harada Riku," Kanade explained.

Ah, yes. Student number eighteen, and the older of the pair of twins in his class.

Not only was Caelar a university of magic, isolated from the normal world, its location in the barren mountains of America kept it far from what Kain thought of as more 'exotic' sports. Lacrosse was one of those.

The trio approached the field and watched the team practicing. There were two fields, side-by-side—one for the girls and one for the boys. The girls' was closer, and Kain was soon able to spot his student out on the field.

She was of medium build, and, as she worked her away around the field, obviously athletic. It was a simple practice, but the way she threw herself into action, she was obviously dedicated to her sport.

After a few minutes the coach called a break, and the athletes stopped. Kanade called out, and Riku turned to the sound. Upon spotting the three, Riku hurried over, giving Kain an opportunity to get a better look at her.

Her dark hair was about shoulder length, and her eyes were brown. She gazed in surprise at Kain. "Kain-sensei…to see you here…ah! Excuse me. Harada Riku; it's a pleasure to meet you…."

"Likewise. You're quite skilled, Harada-san."

"Oh, no…."

They visited for a minute, Kain explaining how Kanade was showing him around the clubs, before the coach called her players back to the field.

"Ri-chin's a good girl, more sensible than Ri-chan," Kanade explained.

"Harada Risa-senpai, the younger sister," Haruna translated.

"I see. Harada Risa-san…is in the fortune telling club, yes?" Kain recalled.

"Ah, Sensei is so amazing, remembering all that," Kanade teased him as they wandered away.

Kain didn't manage to meet any of his other students that afternoon, as Kanade led him around but was distracted by various events.

Kain sighed with exhaustion as he returned to his room, ignoring the stares from the girls until he'd safely entered his room. It had been a tiring day.

But, Kain thought with a smile, fulfilling as well. "I still don't really know why I'm here," he muttered, "but it looks like being a teacher is going to be real interesting."

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Hinagiku Katsura

It may be somewhat confusing, but because Kain is natively American, and the narration is mostly his thoughts, the names are presented in Western format—i.e., personal name and then family name, but when speaking, since it is technically supposed to be all (or nearly all) Japanese, the names are reversed, and the many students introduced in this chapter introduce themselves by family name, then personal name.

Hinagiku Katsura of Hayate the Combat Butler is my third favorite anime girl of all-time, and so I have found place for her inside this story. Her introduction was a shameless copy of the same from her original story, _such is the epicness of it.

She ostensibly replaces iinchô, class president, although she takes no traits from that character besides being the class leader. Some parts of her background will replace later revealed traits of other characters, but there are no spoilers here to what that may mean. She is Hinagiku through and through, the tough, brilliant, amazing school president, master of kendô and all academics. She will have an even greater role in this work than in her original, amazingly, considering how important she was there, although it will take time to reach that point. No more to say on that score.

Many other characters were introduced here, but they will be discussed in later chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Three: Might and Magic, Part I

"Kain-sensei!"

Kain was alone this fine Sunday afternoon, at least until Kagome and Momo hailed him. "Ah…Higurashi-san, Hinamori-san. What can I do for you?"

"We're actually on our way to a café to get something to eat," Kagome explained.

"Would you like to join us, Kain-sensei?" Momo asked.

"Ah…." Kain's curiosity warred with his caution over this invitation.

"It's an Anna Miller's café," Kagome continued. "You've never been to one of those before, have you?"

"Er, no…what's an Anna Miller's café?"

Momo looked surprised. "I thought all American otaku knew about Anna Miller's."

"I-I'm not an otaku…."

"Oh! S-sorry…" the smaller girl apologized.

"Well, it'll be an experience. Why not come with us?" Kagome pressed.

"Well…." Well, it wasn't like he had much else to do. "Okay, why not?" It seemed he was encountering something interesting every day. What to expect this time…?

What he had expected was not Mai, dressed in a very cute waitress uniform he learned was unique to the Anna Miller's line, but that was what he got.

Mai tried to keep her expression from turning to horror at the sight of the invaders. "What…what are you three doing here?"

"We came to visit you," Momo explained.

"And head home with you after your shift ends. Thirty minutes, right?" Kagome added.

Kain said nothing. He wasn't sure of what to say.

"Right…."

She took their orders. Kagome and Momo seemed to be familiar with the place, as they ordered specific ice creams swiftly, but Kain, unfamiliar with these restaurants, chose something at random.

"She seems more flustered than usual," Momo noted.

"Maybe she's embarrassed at her new teacher seeing her here?" Kagome offered, seeming slightly embarrassed herself.

"Ah…I shouldn't have come," Kain muttered. "I'm making her uncomfortable…."

"No, no, it's our fault," Momo insisted. "Don't worry about it. We'll apologize later. Mai'll be all right. She's strong."

Mai reemerged from the kitchens with a tray and made her way to another table, and gathered up the plates and dishes onto her tray. It was a large stack, but Mai seemed perfectly capable of handling it…until she was nearly to the kitchens, when she stumbled and started to fall. The plates went airborne….

And then Mai caught herself with surprising firmness, balanced the collapsing tray instantly, and swerved it around with remarkable speed to perfectly catch the flying dishes before they were lost. She stood there, a shaking but balanced tower of averted danger, and the café, which had fallen into horrified silence just a moment earlier, finally burst out into uneven but enthusiastic applause.

As Mai turned back slightly, embarrassed, she caught sight of Kain lowering his hand and accompanying pointing finger below the table….

It was a pretty good dessert, Kain thought. He was somewhat worried about Mai, but it seemed that she had fully recovered and had no more issues that evening. As promised, the three stayed inside eating for about a half-hour, then finished up and went outside to wait for Mai to emerge. She did, and the four of them started on their way back to the academy.

Kain, a little embarrassed at being alone in the company of his three students, walked a bit ahead, and, to his surprise, Mai moved to join him after a few minutes. "Thanks for that back there," she muttered.

"Eh?"

"You used magic back there…to save me when I tripped with that tray, right?"

"Ah…well…."

"I'm grateful, but…well, forgive me for saying so, but are you sure you should be using your magic in public like that?"

Kain looked a little flustered. "W-well, there wasn't much chance of anyone noticing there…."

"Maybe, but aren't you supposed to be keeping it a secret? Seems kind of hard to do that if you're doing something amazing every time a girl falls down."

Kain flushed a bit at that comment. "I-I can't help it...sorry…it's just…magic is so natural to me, it's just…I believe magic's there to help people, right? I can't help it…."

Mai smiled slightly. "Well, I guess I said the same thing the first time, didn't I, but even then it was an emergency. It's none of my business, but I wonder how long you'll last at this rate. What happens if your secret ends up getting revealed?"

"Ugh…well…if too many people find out, they'll all have to be processed, which is ugly work, and I'll be sent back home, likely banished to…some magic community for a while. I might even get turned into an animal of some sort or another for a while. I should watch it…."

He sighed. "It's just so hard," he continued. "I grew up in a community of mages, so I'm used to not worrying about it, and I didn't expect an assignment…in the normal world. But I'm glad I have a sympathetic person observing my magic at least. Sorry…and thank you."

"Eh? N-no, it's nothing…."

"They seem to have a surprisingly good vibe," Kagome murmured to Momo. "I didn't really expect these two to hit it off this well. This is suspicious."

"I think it's still early to say 'suspicious'," Momo replied. "But still…it is a surprise…."

Kain awoke.

His alarm wouldn't go off for another thirty minutes, but Kain wouldn't get any more sleep tonight. He had hardly slept up to this point, so excited was he for his first day of teaching.

It was kind of funny, he reflected. He'd had his career all planned out. He would receive his degree, and then receive a mission to the magical world, or he would be sent to join a mage-backed NGO like Takamichi did. He would get the opportunity to meet his father's friends and associates, visit the places he visited, see the world and lands that he had saved. Eventually, that would lead him to finding his father….

Never had he expected that he would be teaching, particularly teaching a group of girls his age. Never had he expected to be teaching English to girls outside the world of magic. It was far and away the last thing he had ever expected.

And yet, despite his trepidation (arising mostly from his lack of familiarity with girls his age) he was rather excited. Regardless of what it was, he was excited to be working on his own, and somehow he felt that this strange assignment would lead somewhere interesting….

He arose, turned off his alarm, and began to prepare himself for the day. Anyone viewing the scene would have been amazed watching Kain at normal tasks, with items flying around on their own, inanimate objects not living up to their name, and even reality altering slightly. He was dry immediately after stepping out of the shower, changed from naked to clothed with no discernable in-between state, and generally made himself out, for anyone present to see, as a mage.

He reflected briefly on the fact and Mai's warning to him from yesterday; he was a mage talented beyond measure, a prodigy who had been raised in the heart of mage-dominated territory, and it came as naturally to him as swimming to water fowl. Now he was in an area that was filled with non-mages, people who were not supposed to be aware of the secret. It would be hard on him to refrain from doing magic, so normal it was for him to use it.

Nevertheless, if he wanted to use his magic he should stick to using it in his dorm room, so that the chance of anyone seeing it was nonexistent. He would just try to remember that magic used elsewhere around here could be problematical….

He exited the dormitory. One of the advantages to his early rise was that very few of the girls were currently up and about, allowing him to leave without any problems. It was true, he had a room all to himself, but the girls were quite used to being all alone and safe in their dorm, and the intrusion of a male was somewhat problematical….

But someone was already up. A girl was approaching the dormitory from the gate. He couldn't see her face because it was buried in some sort of paper, but she looked about middle school age. She seemed to sense the teacher's stare, and suddenly looked up and met his eyes. An average-sized girl with long, dark hair and brown eyes, but otherwise identical to one of the girls he had recently met in his tour of clubs.

Ah. He had suspected as much. "Class member number nineteen, Harada Risa-san," he greeted her. "What brings you out this early?"

Risa stared for a moment, then hid the papers hurriedly behind her back. "Oh…Kain-sensei…I didn't expect to see you here…." She laughed nervously.

"Yes…nor I you…so why are you outside at this hour?"

"Oh, er, I, I…."

"If you want to come up with an excuse, I suggest you don't try and hide your guilt so obviously." Kain smiled kindly at her.

Risa laughed nervously again. Then she sighed, and showed Kain the papers. He examined them. "A horoscope? Ah, that's right…you're in the fortune telling club. So you're really into astrology and the like, then?"

"Y-yes…I'm sorry, Sensei, but these are the best horoscopes in the town, and they'll all be gone by the time school lets out…."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," Kain soothed her, giving the paper back. "There's nothing to be guilty about, at least as far as I'm aware. Just make sure you're ready for class to start in a half-hour."

"Yes! I'm on my way!" She started towards the building.

"Wait a moment, Harada-san." Surprised, Risa turned back to her teacher. He didn't continue right away, however. Instead he looked up and swung a finger in the air. Risa could almost believe that she saw a slight light by his finger, but it must have been her imagination. "I know a bit about fortunes myself. Here's one for you, if you're interested: you're not sure of your clear goal yet, but it will become clear in the near future. Even if it looks out of reach, keep on believing, and you'll obtain it."

Risa stared for a second, then clapped her hands with joy. "Amazing! That's the same thing my horoscope told me today! You really know fortunes, Kain-sensei? You must come by our fortune-telling club sometime!"

"Perhaps I will. Now, off you go!" Risa quickly hurried inside.

Kain watched her go, then turned his eyes towards the school building. Well, time to get started.

The bell rang, and the excited chatters inside the room hushed as Kain opened the door. One enterprising student had placed the cliché chalk eraser above the door, balanced to fall on whoever opened it. Kain, however, immediately turned his step into a hop to quickly clear the door and put his hand behind his back, and caught the eraser. He walked nonchalantly to the front of the class, tossing the eraser to its place on the tray under the chalk board. "I see we have some practical jokers here. I won't ask who was responsible, but I suggest you not bite off more than you can chew."

He turned and surveyed the class. Hinagiku and a few others seemed incensed by what they had seen—given Hinagiku's demeanor that he had already experienced, she was likely angry that one of her classmates had the audacity to act this way towards the teacher. The responsible party likely had an accomplice to distract Hinagiku and her fellow students who might have objected.

Most of the class was staring in amazement, although there were a few who still had blank, emotionless stares. He placed his notes on the teaching podium and announced the beginning of class.

After class member number eleven, Erika Sendô, the student body vice-president, led the class in their Japanese pre-teaching ritual, Kain introduced himself once again as their proper teacher and began the lesson.

For the most part the class went by swiftly and peacefully. Kain had already learned over the course of his language studies that, although English was a required class in Japanese schools, it didn't mean that they were all bilingual. Their degrees of mastery of the language varied, especially for younger middle schoolers. Several members of his class could speak quite well, but most had difficulty, and a few stood out as having zero ability with the language.

After the bell ended his class and he excused himself, he went to the teachers' lounge and went over his notes, both those Kain had made himself and those Takamichi had made for him.

Now that he had taught the class, he had spent enough time in their presence that he could discern more from the note-filled class role and class registry he had received. He examined each student individually…..

Asakaze Riza

Ayase Yue

Ayanami Rei

Ogata Matake

Katsura Hinagiku

Rakasu Klein

Konoe Kaoru

Sanada Sakura

Caria Spetzer

Segawa Izumi

Sendô Erika

Alyssa Searrs

Tsukimori Kiami

Tokiha Mai

Nagato Yuki

Hasegawa Chisame

Hanabishi Miki

Harada Riku

Harada Risa

Hinamori Momo

Hirai Yukari

Higurashi Kagome

Heiro Akari

Miyazaki Nodoka

Mizuno Ami

Yûki Kanade

Yoshida Kazumi

Miyu Greer

Jinnai Nanami

Student number one: Riza Asakaze. She was part of the Movie Study Club. That sounded interesting. 'Asakaze Shrine' was another attached note. And—Kain shook his head at this description—she was listed as 'Baka Ranger Black'. He searched his papers, and found an explanation left by Takamichi: 'Although there are many bright students in our class, there are several who are less academically gifted, and require regular remedial and supplementary lessons, usually given by me or Katsura-sensei and often assisted by Hinagiku-kun and Erika-kun. These students have, in good spirit, named themselves the 'Baka Rangers' in honor of superhero teams.'

Well, that certainly explained a lot. She did seem one of the ones who had the most trouble in English. Oh well.

Student number two: Yue Ayase. She was in the Children's Literature Research Society, the Philosophy Research Society, and the Library Exploration Club. Yes, she had been in the library when he'd helped Nodoka with her books earlier. She was also listed as 'Baka Ranger Purple.' That was odd…she belonged to three rather intellectual clubs, and she was a Baka Ranger? She hadn't answered much in class, but she seemed to understand better than most. How odd….

He hoped that the 'Baka Ranger' title wasn't a joke and that everyone in the class didn't have a color….

Student number three: Rei Ayanami. Short blue hair, pale skin, red eyes. She was nearly albino, it seemed. She was of average height and build amongst the girls of the class. She was part of the Tea Ceremony Club. Ah, now that he thought of it, he had briefly seen her while he was there the other day, but he hadn't recognized her at the time. She was…one of the silent ones that never seemed to show emotion. No wonder he hadn't really noticed her back then. Well, at least she wasn't a Baka Ranger.

Student number four: Matake Ogata. She was one of the class' library monitors—apparently this class had three—and was in the volleyball club. Also of average size, she had short brown hair and brown eyes, quite average. Her personality seemed to be on the above-average side, however; she seemed to be paying attention well during class and understanding, and she seemed to possess a lot of energy that threatened to make her stand out. Again, no 'Baka Ranger'. Good. Maybe there was hope for the class yet.

Student number five: Hinagiku Katsura. Student body president, of course. Member of the Kendô Club. Well, he had already seen her sword skills first hand as well, and she seemed to have a knack that went beyond just the rotes of kendô. He had witnessed two sisters, student and teacher, swordfight over him (well, a bad way to put it, but that was more or less the case)…would magic really be considered weird at this school?

Student number six: Rakasu Klein. Father was from Germany, the sheet noted, and it also stated that she was the number one J-pop idol of Japan in both '05 and '06. Takamichi kept detailed notes about his students, indeed…and her father was part of the Mahora Academy School Council. Interesting….

Student number seven: Kaoru Konoe. Like Matake, she was a sporty girl, a member of the track team, and generally nondescript, with short brown hair and brown eyes. Here, however, was another Baka Ranger, green, to be clear. Yes, she certainly also had seemed lost most of the time….

Student number eight: Sakura Sanada. Mostly there was a list of clubs, which he had already examined previously: the Tea Ceremony Club, the Martial Arts Mastery Society, the Robotics Development Society, the Kendô Club, the Cuisenaire Research Society, and the Go Club. He shook his head. Where did she find time for all these activities? And her English was literally perfect, confirming Kain's thought that she was likely only half-Japanese; in fact, he could swear that her accent was very close to that of his home state, Wyoming. Very curious….

Student number nine: Caria Spetzer. What an odd name. Caria was of slightly-above average height and build, probably because she was a Westerner: from Switzerland, it would seem. This was a prestigious school, but still, it was odd to see so many foreigners…and one from Switzerland, no less. She had long blond hair and blue eyes. And she was a member of the Robotics Development Society. There was more room here, which noted that the Robotics Development Society was actually a university-level club. Wow. If she was at university level, she should have skipped grades already, as Kain had. Perhaps there was a story there; perhaps he would find out later, or perhaps it was none of his business. All Kain knew was that she spoke both English and Japanese perfectly, without a foreign accent. He'd have to try her German, and probably French sometime, too.

Student number ten: Izumi Segawa. She was also a member of the Movie Study Club. A number referenced the more in-depth note sheet Takamichi had given him, saying that she was the daughter of the president of Japan's largest electronics manufacturer. Wow. She was also listed as the iinchô, or class representative, despite the presence of Student Body President Hinagiku Katsura and Student Body Vice-President Erika Sendô, and despite the fact that she was also a Baka Ranger (red, in this case). The girl seemed cheerful and happy, but spacey, and her demeanor in class supported her title, as she seemed at a loss most of the time. So how did she end up being the iinchô…?

Student number eleven: Erika Sendô. She had long, beautiful golden hair with red ribbons tied in it and shining blue eyes. She was also among the more well-endowed members of the class, and, of course, the student body vice-president. She was part of the Martial Arts Mastery Society. Also, her mother, Kaya Sendô, was also on the council. Interesting….

Kain searched in his notes for information on Mahora's school council. Apparently, the council members were the wealthy families who founded, funded, and were responsible for the school. He considered this. If his suspicions about this school were correct, then that meant….

Well, that was research for another time.

Student number twelve: Alyssa Searrs. The smallest member of the class: she was apparently about ten years old. She couldn't be of actual middle school age; and yet she didn't seem to have the grades of a grade-skipping prodigy, either. She seemed bored with the class and ignored everything around her, but her English, when he tested it, was naturally flawless; she was American, it would seem. Her golden hair was swept back with a black ribbon across it, and her eyes were blue. She was a member of the Tea Ceremony and Go Clubs. Takamichi had also left a note saying, 'Talk to me if she becomes a problem'. Hmm? Interesting….

Student number thirteen: Kiami Tsukimori. A member of the Martial Arts Mastery Society, and Takamichi's handwritten note said 'Ninja'. Eh? What on earth did that mean? Also, she was Baka Ranger Gold. Okay…well, she was of slightly below-average height and build, with long black hair. She had one of the cool expressions, but it wasn't as lifeless as Rei Ayanami's. Hmm. It was hard to tell just how well she had understood English and the teaching material, given her stoic nature. Well, she was also someone to investigate at a later period.

Student number fourteen: Mai Tokiha. No clubs listed for her, but Takamichi had noted her part-time worker status. Strange…she was also the 'Academy's ward'. There must also be a story behind that. Perhaps he'd get the chance to ask sometime.

Student number fifteen: Yuki Nagato. One of the smaller, slighter girls in the class, with short violet hair and dark eyes hidden behind glasses. She was a member of the Literary Research Club, and was, like Rei Ayanami, completely expressionless, without a shadow of humanity in her. What a weird class he had. He had no more clues or notes on her, so he had no choice but to move on.

Student number sixteen: Chisame Hasegawa. Long, orange-brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. One of the larger girls in the class, but not particularly athletic by all appearances. She had no official clubs, but Takamichi's notes had written in 'Go Home Club' and 'Good with computers'. She seemed to have a rather sour expression most of the time, too. Another interesting person….

Student number seventeen: Miki Hanabishi. The slight girl was also in the Movie Study Club, and a side note revealed that her father was a prominent national politician. Oh my. And, like the rest of the Movie Study Club, she was a Baka Ranger, blue. No other notes on her. She seemed more bored than confused during class, however.

Student number eighteen: Riku Harada. Naturally, in the Lacrosse Club. Takamichi's note reminded Kain she was the older of the twin sisters. Nothing else was given on her.

Student number nineteen: Risa Harada. The Fortune-Telling Club, of course, and the younger sister. Except for her hair being long, she looked quite like her sister. But she, too, had no other notes.

Student number twenty: Momo Hinamori. Ah yes, Mai's roommate. Surprisingly, the small, frail-looking girl was a member of the Kendô Club as well as the Children's Literature Research Society. Takamichi's note mentioned that she was 'Zankensoki trained'. What did that mean? There were no other notes on that in anything Takamichi had given him. He'd have to ask later.

Student number twenty-one: Yukari Hirai. Yukari was on the average side, with long black hair and brown eyes. She was listed as a Musical Research Club member and Art Club member. Otherwise, nothing about her seemed to stand out in anyway, although she seemed cheerful enough.

Student number twenty-two: Kagome Higurashi. Mai's other roommate, and, as Takamichi noted, the principal's granddaughter. Kain thought for a bit. The principal was the cousin of Caelar University's headmaster, and he was part of the magic world; did that mean that Kagome was, too? No one had said anything to him about it. For now, he'd have to just try his best to keep it secret, like he was supposed to. Kagome didn't have any clubs listed, either.

Student number twenty-three: Akari Heiro. Medium-length black hair in a ponytail, and she was slightly larger than most of her classmates. She was a member of the Martial Arts Mastery Society, and the silver Baka Ranger. Takamichi's other note mentioned, 'Disciple of Hokushinryû'. Yet another mysterious note. It was too bad Takamichi had headed out so shortly after Kain arrived…. In any case, Akari seemed furiously dedicated to her studies, but it just didn't pay off for her. He felt a pang of sympathy.

Student number twenty-four: Nodoka Miyazaki. The shy little girl was a library monitor, Library Academy Officer, and a member of the Library Exploration Club. She certainly didn't like to put herself forward in class, but apparently her grades were quite good. Hopefully she wouldn't get in any more potential accidents….

Student number twenty-five: Ami Mizuno. The third member of the Library Exploration Club, she was also in the Math Club, Chess Club, and was a member of the Health Committee. Her grades were superb, and she showed her brilliance in class. Her English wasn't perfect, but probably better than most American girls her age, despite her still-present accent.

Student number twenty-six: Kanade Yûki. The girl was noted as a Dormitory Supervisor, but had no other clubs that she was a part of. Kain believed she might spend her time bothering all the other clubs…. In any case, the girl seemed to be about the middle of the pack academically.

Student number twenty-seven: Kazumi Yoshida. Short brown hair, brown eyes, Kazumi would have been nondescript except that she had a figure only rivaled by Mai. She was another shy and quiet girl, and the third Library Monitor in the class. She had no other clubs. She also seemed to have good enough grades, but her shyness kept him from accurately gauging her understanding of his class so far.

Student number twenty-eight: Miyu Greer. Medium build overall, with short blue hair and red eyes. She resembled Rei in many ways, including that blank, expressionless stare. Odd name, though—it seemed, what, German, perhaps? No note on her nationality. She was also a member of the Tea Ceremony Club, and Takamichi's note mentioned, 'In case of emergency, contact the Engineering group of the University' and gave the number. Engineering? This class really was full of mysteries. As for Miyu, she did not show much willingness to participate in class, nor did her grades seem to be anything special, but she was not a Baka Ranger.

Student number twenty-nine: Nanami Jinnai. Short red hair, average height and build, blue eyes. She seemed a pretty good student, was outgoing and participated well in class, and spoke English with decent skill for her age. She was a member of the Journalism Club and Broadcasting Club. No significant notes for her.

An interesting bunch to be sure. He had so much more to learn about them….

Well, plenty of time. Plenty of time. Right now, he had little else to do.

Ah yes. Except write a letter home.

He was just folding up his letter and depositing it in the envelope when he vaguely heard something going on next door. He rose and opened the door to find that his neighbors—Mai, Kagome, and Momo—had their door open.

Only Mai and Kagome were present, however. Mai was ducking back into the hallway to look around as Kain approached.

"Is there a problem, Tokiha-san?" he asked as the girl started at his sudden appearance.

"Ah…yes…I guess so," Mai muttered.

Kagome added, "Mai just got back from her part-time job and was about to start on her homework, but it seems she dropped her notebook along the way."

"Or I left it in class," Mai moaned, slapping her head with the palm of her hand somewhat dramatically.

Kain glanced at his watch. It was getting on towards evening; the school building would be shut by now. "I could go get it for you," he offered.

"Eh? No! I couldn't ask…." Mai began to panic at the audacity of asking her teacher for assistance.

"Not to worry. I am your homeroom teacher; it's only appropriate for me to help my students when they're in trouble."

"Eh…well…all right. I guess you should be able to get the key to the classroom from the night duty room. It's by the academy grounds' gate."

Night duty room? Kain hadn't heard of that before, but it was worth checking out. Mai put a slight tone in her voice that probably suggested he should refrain from breaking in by magic. It was probably sound advice.

"All right, I'm off!"

As he made his way towards the gate, he noticed a small building there with a light on. Ah. That must be the night duty room….

"I've found a suspicious individual!" a familiar, cackling voice crowed from behind him. He whirled and jumped back, avoiding the metal pipe as it arced through the air.

"Eh? Kain-kun?" Yukiji stopped her swing. "What are you doing here?"

"You almost hit me from behind," Kain muttered.

"Ha, ha, sorry about that. But what are you doing out this late?"

Kain smoothed his suit. "Tokiha-san apparently left her notebook behind in the school building. I volunteered to go pick it up for her. Anyway, what are you doing out so late at night, Katsura-sensei?"

"Ah…" Yukiji suddenly appeared nervous. "Er…I-I'm on night duty! That's right! Night duty!"

Yukiji's manner was obviously suspicious, but Kain had no call to intrude further. "I see…thank you for your hard work. Anyway…night duty…so you should have the key to 2-A's homeroom in the night duty room, right?"

"Er…yes…I should go get it for you…."

"No problem, I'll come with you."

"Er…come with me? But…." Yukiji seemed to be getting more and more nervous.

"It'll be easier that way. Why? What's the matter?"

"It's…just a little messy right now…."

"It's not a problem."

They wandered over to the night duty room, where Yukiji continued to plead with Kain. "It'll take a bit for me to dig through everything and find it, so you could take a little walk…."

"It's all right; I don't mind." By this point Kain was simply hanging on because he was curious as to what Yukiji didn't want him to see.

"In fact," he added above Yukiji's protests, suddenly pushing the door open and stepping inside, "why don't I help you look for it?"

And he gazed on the scene. The night duty room was strewn with all sorts of objects, empty food containers, books, game systems, pillows and blankets. It very much gave the impression that….

"Someone's been living here…?" Kain murmured. "Er…are these Katsura-sensei's belongings?"

"They're not mine!" Yukiji exploded. "In fact, even if it doesn't look like it, I've actually taken away a lot of stuff!"

"Huh?" Kain stared at her.

"W-what I mean is…."

"Are you…living here, Katsura-sensei?"

"There's nothing else I can do! I can't afford rent! And the bathroom in the night duty room is larger and cleaner than at my old place!" Kain continued to stare at her. "It's like that! I just can't afford to live anywhere else, and my foster parents won't provide me any more allowance!"

Disregarding the fact that a woman in her mid-twenties shouldn't be receiving an allowance from her parents in the first place, Kain said, "But you must receive a pretty substantial monthly income from teaching at a school like this. What do you spend it all on?"

Yukiji looked away and didn't reply for several seconds. Finally she muttered, "A-alcohol…I love booze…."

No wonder her 'allowance' was cut off. Kain didn't say anything out loud, but Yukiji saw his expression and began to explode at him again when another voice hailed them.

"Oh? I thought I heard Katsura-chan crying out, but I didn't expect to see Kain-sensei here."

Kain turned a saw…Izumi Segawa. She was dressed in pajamas, and looked as if she'd just gotten out of the bath. She was soon joined by Miki Hanabishi and Riza Asakaze, who were fortunately more normally dressed.

"What a coincidence, meeting you here in the middle of the night, Kain-sensei," Izumi continued cheerfully.

"But what are you doing here?" Miki asked.

"Ah…I'm actually here to get the key to the school building so I can retrieve something someone forgot in there. But what about you all? Why are you here so late?"

"Hmm." Miki seemed to be thinking. "That would be Mai, wouldn't it? She's known to be forgetful at times. If she didn't work so hard, she'd be a Baka Ranger, too."

"In any case, Sensei, we're working on remedial lessons and studying for the exams." This came from Yue Ayase, who, along with Akari Heiro, Kiami Tsukimori, and Kaoru Konoe, had just entered.

"Ah…I see." He turned to Yukiji. "So, you teach the remedial courses for the, er…."

"Baka Rangers," Yue put in for him. "Go ahead, say it. We're used to it. These three are proud of it," she added, pointing to Izumi, Miki and Riza.

"Proud?" Kain was certainly surprised by that.

"Of course," Riza bragged. "Don't you realize, Kain-sensei? This is an elevator school. There's plenty of room for geniuses who skip grades and scholarships only go to the most excellent students, but for many of us that have been here since primary school…."

"We're complete boneheads," Miki finished.

"So that's why I'm teaching them here," Yukiji finished. She glared at Kain. "You aren't going to take my remedial courses from me and decrease my pay, are you?"

"Of course not!" Kain insisted placatingly. "I doubt I could replace you."

"That's probably true," Izumi put in. "After all, Katsura-chan teaches in a way that's really easy to understand."

"Probably proof that a good player doesn't necessarily make a good coach," Kaoru added.

"That's right," Yukiji crowed, puffing up a bit, but then she stopped. "Wait a minute…was that a compliment…?"

"Don't worry, Yukiji," the normally silent Kiami added, a slight smile on her face. "We're just making fun of you."

"DON'T INSULT YOUR TEACHER!" Most of the girls laughed and began to flee from the angry teacher while Kain stared at the energetic bunch.

Finally Yukiji calmed down, and handed a key to Kain. "Here's the classroom key. Make sure you return it later, okay?"

"Right," Kain sighed, taking the key.

"Anyway, you're really brave, sensei," Kaoru remarked as he turned to go.

"Huh?"

"Well, you are a boy, but still…" Miki teased. "To go to the west wing, where our class is located, in the middle of the night…."

"Is this a ghost story?" Kain muttered, turning back to leave. "I appreciate your concern, but I doubt I'll fall prey to any ghosts."

"Oh, he is brave!" Izumi enthused.

"Don't bring back any curses with you!" Riza called after him.

I thought the Japanese only told ghost stories during summer, he thought, but put it out of his mind and made his way to the school building. It was the same building he'd just started working in, and there was nothing frightening about it….

And then he saw it looming up above him. It somehow seemed more dark and worrisome than before, with a strange atmosphere about it. He could swear it was magic, or something, which was odd, because it couldn't possibly be magical at night when it wasn't during the day.

Probably he should have ignored the building and made sure of where he was, but curiosity was one of his flaws. He went into the building to investigate.

"Kain-kun sure is late," Yukiji muttered.

"Hmm…has it really been an hour since he left?" Akari asked, looking at the clock.

"The school is big, but I think he's taking too long," Yukiji continued.

"Well, in the classroom at night, there are young girls' musical instruments and gym shorts to temp adolescent boys…" Miki began.

"No, no, don't make him out to be a pervert," Yukiji pleaded.

"But even if he is a genius child teacher, he's still a teenage boy!" Miki insisted.

This declaration caused a bit of dissension in the party. Here we go again, with our idiot discussions, Yue thought.

Kaoru was more vocal. "I-I don't think Kain-sensei would do anything like that…."

"No, it's true!" Riza cried. "By now, he's probably gotten into Kaichô's desk, and with her recorder, he—"

"You look like you're having fun," Hinagiku said from the doorway. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, Kaichô herself!" Riza exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"

The other girls offered more normal greetings, which Hinagiku returned.

"I only came here to cook dinner for you," she huffed. "Are you studying hard? We can't have members of our student body failing so much."

"Alas, we're only studying as hard as usual," Yue muttered.

"Don't worry, Hina," Miki assured her. "We're having a serious discussion about the abnormal behavior of adolescent boys."

"We've concluded that your prize musical instrument is already in Kain-sensei's hands," Riza added.

"I told you to take your studying seriously!" Hinagiku seethed.

She calmed a bit. "Is it true that Kain-sensei is in the building tonight?"

Miki nodded. "Yeah, and by now he has your gym shorts and…."

"You should really stop talking about your teacher that way."

"But he is late," Kaoru mused. "I wonder if he wandered into the old building by mistake…."

"Yeah, the old school building nobody uses anymore," Izumi put in.

Yukiji shook her head. "I doubt it…but if he did, he's in trouble."

Several of the girls started going off about the ghosts and apparitions that appeared in the old school building and the reasons for its abandonment, and about how those who enter never leave.

"I…better go look for him," Hinagiku said finally.

"Eh?!" Izumi looked surprised. "But Hina-chan, there are ghosts in there!"

"He might be injured. Someone should go check," Hinagiku replied as she made her way out the door. "Besides, I'm not afraid of ghosts. You all study hard while I'm gone, all right?" And off she went.

I'm not afraid of ghosts, Kain thought. But considering the situation, I could see how people might take up the profession.

So far, he had fallen through a rotting floor, avoided three broken chandeliers intent on dropping on his head, and had constantly been dogged by a presence that he couldn't quite make out. It was somewhat annoying.

Unfortunately, he had not spent a lot of time studying spiritual phenomena in the university; he had chosen to focus on demons for his supernatural enemy studies, for important reasons. Now he wished he'd read a bit more. It would have helped him find a solution to this little problem….

Then, somewhere above him, he heard the front door open again. Someone else was here….

I'm not afraid of ghosts. I said that, but….

Hinagiku nervously crossed the threshold and looked around. Ghosts or no ghosts, this place was certainly eerie…perhaps even unnerving. There were, however, telltale signs of a very recent entry. Up ahead, she could see a place where the floor had broken in suddenly….

And then she heard the sounds. Scraping, gasping, and then a hoarse laughter. Hinagiku glanced around wildly. Then the door slammed behind her, and a ghostly image coalesced in front of it. It seemed halfway in between an animal and a human, but it had an overly-large, skull-like face with large closed teeth and empty eye sockets. It laughed again.

Screaming, Hinagiku began to run away. A perfectly natural reaction, and there was no rhyme or reason to her steps. She only could try to get away from the terrible thing pursuing her.

Finally she tripped and stumbled to the ground, and by the time she had herself righted the thing was in front of her, bearing down slowly. She tried to stand, her back against the wall behind her, but her legs gave out and she slid back to the floor. The thing approached, slowly, menacingly, terribly.

S-someone, she thought, panting in fright. Someone, please...

A recent memory flashed in her mind.

"I would have rescued you."

"K-Kain-sensei!"

And with official superhero timing, the teacher exploded onto the scene, sending the monster flying with a savage kick. It bounced and rolled across the ground, careening off walls, before it faded into nonexistence.

Kain turned to the quivering girl. "Are you all right, Hinagiku-sa…."

He stopped as Hinagiku threw herself into him, grabbing his side tightly.

"E-eh?" Kain muttered, shocked into fright himself. "H…Hinagiku-san?"

"T-thank you for rescuing me," Hinagiku said, glancing up with tear-filled eyes. "But…."

"Huh?"

"Next time, don't get lost in such a scary place!" She struck him in the chest, hard.

"This incident must be kept secret, Kain-sensei," Hinagiku insisted.

"I should think so," Kain agreed. "That is…certainly inappropriate contact for a student and teacher."

Hinagiku was silent for several moments. "Yes…well, that too…but…if you tell anyone I was scared like that…I'll hit you for real."

Kain thought the previous blow from her felt real enough, but he voiced his other thought: "Well, but I think anyone would be scared after being chased by a monster like that."

"That's not what I mean!" Hinagiku insisted. "A student body president of Mahora Academy must have dignity! But just seeing some ghosts…made me crumble into that hideous abomination…."

"You're quite exaggerating," Kain soothed her. You even looked quite cute, he added privately, but wisely didn't voice the thought. "In any case, if this isn't our girls' middle school building, I don't need to be here. We should leave, Hinagiku-san, before that…thing comes back."

"Ho…what are you saying, Kain-sensei?"

"Eh?" He didn't like the vibe she was giving off.

"The way things stand, unless I uncover the ghost's real identity, I won't be cool anymore. Do you think I can go back defeated?"

"What if it's really a ghost like it seemed to be? We really can't do much against that…."

"You sent it flying with a kick, didn't you?"

Yes, but I have special qualifications. Unfortunately, he couldn't explain that to Hinagiku. "Still, it's too dangerous, Hinagiku-san. We should leave this place to professionals…."

"Request denied!" snapped Hinagiku. "No matter what, I can't let them off! Now, Kain-sensei…together, let's begin the ghost hunt!"

Kain considered for a moment. As a teacher, he certainly outranked Hinagiku, and if he reminded her of this, he could probably force her to leave. Hinagiku wasn't a girl who would—or could—refuse authority. However…she was incredibly determined. Maybe it'd be best to let her have her way and see if he could exorcise the whatever-it-was while they were at it. He did know a few spells that would probably work.

"Come, Kain-sensei! Let's go!" Hinagiku insisted.

"R-right, coming…."

As they hurried off, a small black-clad figure stepped out of the shadows behind them. "Kaichô and Kain-sensei…. This may become complicated."

It's probably been another thirty minutes…it's getting far too late. I was hopeful, but I think I scared it too badly with that kick. We really should be leaving….

"Don't you think we should just go back?" Kain begged as he trudged reluctantly behind his student. "We aren't finding anything."

"No! We can't leave until we find its true identity."

"But it's probably dangerous…."

"Then, as student body president and teacher, we need to deal with them…because they're dangerous! We need to take care of them before any students get hurt!"

That's why I've humored you thus far, Kain thought.

"Anyway, you keep saying you want to go back," Hinagiku continued almost reluctantly, in subdued tones. "But you're alone with a girl at school in the middle of the night. You could act a little happier…."

"Yes, alone with a girl acting childish and a deadly ghost."

"I-I'm not acting childish! I'm the student body president!" She whirled around. "Never mind! I'll find the ghost by myself if I have to."

"Now, now…I'll go with you."

She's quite like Lina…she's stubborn and a sore loser….

Even as he was thinking that, Hinagiku surprised him yet again. "This is supposed to be winter," she muttered, "but isn't it hot in here…?" She grasped the collar of her shirt and started to pull at it repeatedly to fan herself.

Then she noticed Kain staring at her in shock, his face flushed. "Oh…why are you blushing, Kain-sensei? Do you want a peak, maybe?"

"T-that's not it!" Kain insisted, spinning his head around furiously.

"What's this?" Hinagiku teased. "Here you are, treating me like a child…but you're quite nervous being with me, aren't you?"

"N-no! Of course not! I…." Kain stopped and took a deep breath. "You really shouldn't talk about these things with your teacher," he muttered. "Well, I'll admit, you can…fluster me, but I skipped many grades in school and didn't get to ever spend a lot of time with girls my age, so it's quite easy to fluster me. Even if my morals allowed me to look past the fact that we're teacher and student, I couldn't think anything of you because I wouldn't have any idea how to. But, Hinagiku-san, you have to be more careful. You leave yourself far too vulnerable with acts like that, or climbing and jumping down from trees in a skirt. Around any other boys, that lack of modesty could get you into trouble…."

"I see." Kain froze as he felt a tender pull at the back of his jacket. "If it's you, Kain-kun, I wouldn't mind you doing…anything to me…."

Kain turned his head nervously. "Hinagiku…san…?"

Hinagiku looked up at him with a smirk on her face. "Psych. Will boys take that kind of joke seriously?"

She turned and started walking away. "Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind…when I'm dealing with boys like Kain-sensei."

Kain could only watch her walk away. I was wrong. She's an even higher level of stubborn sore loser than Lina….

Suddenly he noticed a paper floating through the air by his head. He watched it sway back and forth on its slow trip to the ground, then snatched it up and examined it. A note had been written on it.

'Kain-sensei. Head to the room on your right and defeat the ghost, so you and Hinagiku-san can get out. Then leave everything to me.'

Ah. Um. Kain glanced around. There was no one in sight. Whoever sent this note knew him…might it be…?

Hinagiku turned back to him and he hastily pocketed the note. "Kain-sensei?" She sounded concerned, likely worried her attack had inflicted a little too much psychological damage to Kain.

No time to worry about it now. He turned to his right. "I think I heard something in there! Let's go!" He hurried inside.

"Eh? Wait for me!" Hinagiku charged in after him.

And there it was. More or less. Kain felt there was something different about it. It looked more…real and normal, perhaps, not supernatural? Nonetheless, it was the same general shape and form, with that big mask-like skull….

It hissed. "Go away…this is my place…."

Hinagiku struck it with a length of pipe she had picked up from somewhere about the decrepit place. It collapsed with a rather pathetic, 'Ow'.

"How dare you scare me earlier!" Hinagiku seethed. "I'll pay you back a hundredfold, you…whatever you are!"

The thing started to get up, but Hinagiku knocked it down again. Kain watched with mixed pity and admiration as she rather determinedly struck out at the source of her fear. However, considering its different reactions, not to mention his odd note, he didn't believe it to be actually the same creature….

After the thing writhed and cursed through a few more blows, it collapsed, literally, into dust. Hinagiku stared at it. "Was that…it?"

"Amazing, I must admit," Kain agreed. "Is that the power of kendô?"

"Eh? Er, I don't think so…."

"In any case, it looks like you've taken care of the ghost, so can we leave now?"

"Well, I guess, but that just seemed far too easy…."

"I do agree, but we've already been here far too long. It seems all right now. If you like, we can come back to check tomorrow when it's light so we can see better, or, if you really must, we can try again at night just to make sure there's nothing else scary in here…."

Hinagiku shook her head almost too hurriedly. "No, you're right. I guess we did what we came to do. We'll come back if we hear anything more about it."

She turned and started off, walking just a bit taller than she had before. Chuckling softly, Kain followed her.

A black-clad form once again appeared behind them. "That's that." A hand reached down and cracked a sword from its sheath. "Now to take care of the real problem…."

Momo greeted Kain when he finally returned to the dorm. "Ah, Kain-sensei. Is that Mai's notebook?"

Mai hurried over and took the proffered gift from Kain, thanking him profusely. "What took so long?" Kagome asked, not accusingly, but out of curiosity.

"Ah…I got a little lost…."

Inside his room, he pulled out the scrap of paper he had received and cast a couple spells. To his surprise, the aura from the paper didn't match any he was familiar with.

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Yukiji Katsura, Miki Hanabishi, Izumi Segawa, and Riza Asakaze.

This chapter features a second necessary evil, that is to say, encounter with Yukiji Katsura. Although Katsura-sensei is a mad drunk brute, she is amusing, and, more importantly, a necessary side character in the Hinagiku side stories I, uh, borrow for this story. I hadn't intended to feature quite so much Hinagiku (and, along with that, her sister) in these early chapters, but they'll have to tide Hinagiku fans over, because she won't have too _much more than cameos for the next little while. I guess in that case it's all right.

I'm not too fond of her either, but Yukiji is a necessary evil because of her importance in Hinagiku's past. When their parents disappeared, leaving them with an 80 million yet debt, it was Yukiji who had to save them, working her butt off like Hayate to preserve them and eventually getting them adopted by a well-to-do family. This important part of Hinagiku's past exists here, but there are changes in the truth of their disappearance that will be revealed…much later. Hence, Yukiji is necessary, although I will try to limit her appearances from this point on.

_ We also get to more fully meet the 'baka trio' as I call them. Miki, Izumi, and Riza (from right to left; originally Risa, renamed to avoid [some] confusion with Risa Harada) are wonderful foils to Hinagiku. They fit in a lot of other ways—the Baka Rangers are an important part of the Mahora 2-A culture, and I actually got rid of a lot of them with this do-over and added more students with excellent grades, so I need more bakas to justify class 2-A's bottom ranking. These three make fine replacements, since they are the resident idiots of the Hayate universe. Also, they are zany and wild enough to add back some of the energy and 'baka' quality to the class that I took away by removing the original twins, the cheerleaders, and others. They will have important parts to play in the story, not regularly, but in spurts. Look forward to them.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Four: Might and Magic, Part II

The principal's assistant, Shizuna, a tall, blonde, very well-endowed woman in her thirties, opened the door and invited Kain inside. She stayed outside and closed the door after Kain.

"Come in, Kain-kun, have a seat," the old man coaxed him. Kain did so. "So, this is about your little ghost hunt last night, eh?"

"Er…yes." Kain coughed. "You know about that?"

"Well, let me go ahead and explain. That building is a very rare haunted building, or was, after a…magical mishap some twenty-one years ago. Although the incident forced us to abandon it, it wasn't really a problem until recently."

"So, in other words, until 'recently' it wasn't dangerous at all?" Kain inquired.

"Hmm, yes. Well, it's because of the school's current rising mana levels that re-awoke the dark energy in the building. Or, rather, the tree's rising mana levels."

"Ah…the sacred Mahora tree. I read about that. Every twenty-two years its mana level peaks, and it actually glows as it discharges that mana, yes? So the peaking energy awoke that…building as well?"

"Correct. The tree will reach its peak again this year, even though it's only been twenty-one years since the last one, but that's a story for another time. Simply put, some dormant spirit was awoken by the tree's power and started to haunt the place. Ironically, we had just decided to dispatch an agent to take care of the spirit inside last night, at the same time you and Hinagiku-chan stumbled inside. Yes, Kain-kun, I can see the question on your face. While this school is in the 'normal world', it is not strictly a normal school. Rather, while it isn't a mage-only school like your Caelar University, it is filled with teachers and students who are part of the magic circle. Takamichi-kun and I—and you—aren't the only mages here at Mahora Academy."

Yes, Kain had suspected as much. He hadn't given it much thought his first few days, but the more he saw, the more obvious it was—and the more amazing it was that the secret was so well-guarded. He probably should take a bit greater care towards keeping his own magic secret, with so many other clues sitting around.

But, turning his thoughts back to the event: it seemed the principal wasn't inclined to yet reveal the identity of the 'agent' sent to take care of the spirit. Somewhat disappointing; Kain would have liked to have met the ghost hunter. The 'ghost' that Hinagiku had defeated seemed to have been some sort of illusionary construct, but Kain wasn't familiar with the form of magic used. But he said: "So the problem is taken care of, then?"

"Yes, it shouldn't pose a problem any more. Perhaps sometime next year we'll demolish it and build a new building, or, maybe not. Truth be told, the students take such delight in their ghost stories and such that I didn't have the heart to do anything to the building before and deprive them of their little mysteries."

Kain nodded. He had lots of questions about the academy, still, but he didn't have much time this morning and, honestly, he shouldn't pry too much too early. "I have one more question, sir, before I make a mistake of some sort—it's about your granddaughter, Kagome-san. Does she know about the magic world?"

The principal shook his head. "No, her parents thought they'd like her to grow up innocent, outside of the magic world. I have respected their wishes. So she hasn't learned you're a mage then, has she?"

Her roommate has. "No, and I'll make sure to respect their wishes and keep it a secret." He stood. "And now I should get to class. Thank you for your time, and for indulging my curiosities, sir."

Class went well that day, and the next few days. No chalk erasers or other traps assaulted him after the first day; either the culprit had quickly realized the futility of challenging the young man, or someone—such as Hinagiku—had already found the culprit and expressed her displeasure in no uncertain terms. Either way, Kain was grateful; he did enjoy showing off, just a little, but he didn't appreciate the idea of having to treat every class as a training exercise.

He had a few more interesting encounters with his students over the course of the week. Kanade Yûki liked to come around and harass him, and she kept threatening to have a tea party in his room. Izumi, Miki, and Riza liked to cause havoc as well, both in and out of class.

Back on the second day, just after his arrival, he had had a chance meeting with Erika Sendô, the student body vice-president. Despite her difference in appearance, she quite resembled her president, Hinagiku. She was expert in academics and athletics, just like Hinagiku was, and had the same stubborn sense of responsibility about her work. Fortunately, however, he did not find himself fighting crazed teachers or ghosts when he was in her presence. However, while she did quickly cover it, she had…some sort of strange reaction when they first met one-on-one.

And, most peculiar, there was the event after school on the third day.

Kain was sitting by the fountain in the center of the school, located near the tree. He had a tendency to go to one of those two places—the fountain or the tree itself—to go over his class notes and do his grading. He found it far more relaxing than the teachers' lounge; he wasn't comfortable surrounded by his 'peers', since they were so much older than he was. He was surprised when three of his students approached him suddenly.

"Um, Kain-sensei…we have a question about the lesson this morning…."

Kain looked up. Ami, Nodoka and Yue were approaching him. Ami was the one who had spoken. "Mizuno-san…Miyazaki-san…Ayase-san…. Good afternoon. I'm glad to help any way I can. But, you need help, Mizuno-san? You seemed to be getting along fine."

"Ah, no, not me," Ami assured him hurriedly. "Nodoka just has a few concerns about it."

Nodoka nervously approached. Her, eh? Well, that did make a bit more sense to Kain. Ami was one of the class' geniuses—only Sakura surpassed her overall grades—and spoke English quite well, but even there she was an exception. Nodoka was a very good student as well, but even the most gifted students would have difficulty with a language that was alien to them, and they would consider themselves all the more inept next to natural English speakers like Kain, Sakura, Alyssa and even Caria.

"All right, Miyazaki-san. Come here, and tell me what you'd like to know." He considered her briefly. "Ah…did you change your hairstyle, Miyazaki-san?"

A hairpiece had been placed in her hair, pulling her bangs out of her face and revealing her eyes. Before she could answer, Ami grasped her shoulders from behind and said, "She did. How does it look?"

"She looks much cuter like this, doesn't she?" Yue added.

She did, Kain thought, look quite cute, but he wasn't given much of an opportunity to reply one way or the other. Nodoka blushed fiercely and panicked, tearing herself from Ami's grasp and fleeing.

"Ah, Nodoka…" Yue moaned, hurrying after her.

"Oh, dear…" Ami murmured. "Sorry about that, Kain-sensei. We'll have to try this again another time. Nodoka…." And she hurried off after her friends.

Kain blinked as he watched them go. "Um…bye." Then he sighed. "What was that about?"

"Ah, free time for PE is the best!" Matake enthused, stretching. "Let's hit the roof!"

Mahora Academy had put the rooftops on its buildings to use. In particular, they had designed several sports courts on the top of their buildings to give more places for the many sports clubs—not to mention PE classes—to practice and work on.

They were carefully rationed to appointed classes and time periods, and so Class 2-A was quite surprised when they found a group of older girls already there.

"Huh? Hey, what's this?!" Matake demanded.

"Oh?" One of the students turned to their emerging kohai and smiled a mocking smile. "Look, it's the little middle school girls. Sorry, but it looks like your court is being used today."

"Don't give us that!" Kanade cried. "Courts are for specific classes and times! Go back to your own court!"

"Now, now," another one soothed. "Our class is already using our court, and there's not enough room for us to pursue our activities. Be good kohai and let your senpai have use of this. It's not like you really need it…."

Kain looked up as Risa Harada came hurrying over to him. "Kain-sensei!" she wailed, panting and panicked. "Kain-sensei!"

"Eh? What is it, Harada-san?"

"It's a fight! A fight! Please, Sensei, hurry!" She started running back to the building. Kain followed her.

They emerged on to the roof to see Riku, Matake, Kanade and the Student Council Presidency pair (Hinagiku and Erika) face-to-face with several of the high school students, arguing and, from the look of them, just short of going to fisticuffs. The rest of the high schoolers were dominating the court, keeping the rest of Kain's class from approaching. A few were leaning against the wall, bored, but most were huddled together near the stairwell, too timid to join the battle.

"What's the meaning of this?" Kain demanded, silencing both parties.

"Kain-sensei…" Hinagiku murmured.

"Eh? Who's this boy?" one of the high schoolers demanded.

"Oh, did someone call her boyfriend to help out?" another one added.

"B-boyfriend?" Kain flushed. "I'm not a student! I'm the homeroom and English teacher of Class 2-A, Kain Lockeheart! What are you doing to my students?"

"Eh? Teacher? Oh, c'mon, don't be silly!" another older girl laughed.

"No, I remember hearing about him!" insisted another. "The genius child teacher! Kain Lockeheart, that's him!"

"Eh, that's him?"

The high school girls crowded around Kain, causing him to flinch back, unnerved.

"Wow, so this is him!"

"He's American, too? You know, he's actually kind of cute…."

Kaoru angrily pushed her way into the group, shoving them away. "All right! Get away from our sensei, you old ladies!"

"That's enough!" Revitalized by Kaoru's interference, Kain joined in to clear space for himself. "Now, this court belongs to the middle school. You high school girls shouldn't be here. Now leave."

"Ah, but our court is already in use," one of them whined.

"Can't you overlook it this once, Sensei?"

Kain glowered at them. "Don't push me. No matter how I look, I am an official teacher of Mahora Academy. I won't let you bully my students. I'll ask once more, and once more only. Leave."

The high schoolers huddled to consult. Erika sighed and walked over to the confrontation. "All right, all right. Let's try this, shall we? We can settle this with a match. The winner gets the use the court as they want. At least it'll get us all some exercise instead of wasting our energy. And Kain-sensei can serve as our judge."

"Oh? That sounds better," agreed the high school spokeswoman. "What kind of a match?"

"Our volleyball net is set up, so why not volleyball?"

"Yes, that's fine with us." The girl's eyes shone. "Conveniently, there are eleven of us, so we can field a full team. Ah, but it might be unfair, since we're high schoolers. You can put as many as you want out…."

"No need," Matake insisted, picking up the volleyball. "Don't underestimate us, you old ladies."

"Is this all right, Sensei?" Hinagiku asked Kain sweetly as Erika tried to halt the fireworks before they exploded.

Kain glowered at the assembled competitors and sighed. "It's fine." He walked back to the wall and joined his students leaning against it as they picked out their team.

Hinagiku, Erika, Kaoru, Matake, Kiami, Akari, Sakura, Riku, Kanade, Yukari, and Rei made up the middle school team. Matake held the ball and pointed at the high schoolers dramatically. "Now you'll pay for messing with our court and our time, you old hags!"

"Look who's talking, little runt! We'll teach you to respect your elders!" She glanced over at Kain. "And, if we win, we're also taking your teacher away."

"What?!" It was hard to tell who was louder, Kain or about half of the girls in his class as they all yelled in unison.

"A cute child genius is way too good for brats like you. We'll make him our teacher!"

"First of all, that's impossible anyway…" Hinagiku began.

"Ha! Fine!" Kanade shouted, silencing them all. "And if we win, you'll have to become Kain-sensei's slaves!"

"And that's more than impossible," Kain muttered. "I don't want slaves…."

"Fine! You don't stand a chance, anyway."

"We'll see."

Matake, a veteran volleyball player, served the ball up and hit it over. The two sides juggled the ball back and forth for a moment, lightly testing each other. Then, as the ball came to their side of the net again, the leader of the high school team yelled out, "All right, girls! Let's show these brats who they're really messing with!"

In a flash, the girls' team formed a more uniform and organized formation, and with swift precision the ball was bumped, set, and spiked. The ball flashed with speed and power right between Yukari and Kaoru.

"What?!" The middle schoolers stared, stunned.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you?" the leader sneered. "We're…Mahora Academy's high school volleyball team! We're a nationally ranked volleyball team that took 4th in the tournament!"

"What? That's really not fair!" Yukari sputtered.

"Ara, you're the ones who thought you could take us. Now we'll teach you to treat us with respect."

Kain scowled. This entire sequence was crazy. True, he was new here and he was young, but he didn't appreciate the lack of respect the high school girls had given him, nor the disregard they had for the rules. He was practically impotent, however, unless he went and fetched a teacher they would respect. Not Yukiji, but probably Meia. Erika's suggestion had merit and avoided a true fight, but the high schoolers were really playing dirty….

Well, he wasn't completely impotent. He stared at the match with his arms folded as he watched the high schoolers rack up four more points. He began uncurl one finger and carefully gesture….

"You really shouldn't," a voice murmured in his ear.

He started and looked over at Mai, who was regarding him carefully. "You're thinking of using magic to help your class out, aren't you? I'd reconsider."

Kain bristled a little, but not much; it was simply residue from his anger towards the high schoolers. "Why? Those girls are completely out of line. They deserve to be taken down a peg."

"I won't argue with that," Mai continued still in undertones. "But you really don't need to. You haven't been with us long, I know, but you really don't know us yet. We have some fantastic athletes on our side. You shouldn't waste your magic on a little problem like this. Just watch."

Sakura picked up the ball as the high schoolers sixth point rolled across the court towards her. "All right, we've played nice and given them a bit of a handicap," she announced, tossing the ball back to them. "Shall we get serious, ladies?"

"Ha!" screeched the leader. "Big talk from little washboards! Here we go…."

She hit it directly at Sakura with her best hit. To her surprise, the little girl received the ball perfectly, and it moved to Matake with a soft arc. The brunette set the ball well, and Hinagiku roared up to the net to deliver a perfect strike spike right through the arms of the girl rising to defend.

"W-what?!" the high schoolers managed in shock.

"Now it's our turn," Matake smirked, taking the ball and preparing to serve.

Kain stared in awe at the scene as it continued to play out. Matake was a skilled volleyball player, not on the level of a national competitor, perhaps, but more than competitive enough to play with them. She was also the only one that was an actual volleyball player, but her team consisted of athletes. Kaoru, Yukari, and Kanade were athletic but obviously overmatched; on the other hand, Sakura, Hinagiku, Erika, Kiami, Akari and Rei were all like goddesses. Rei was robotic, still expressionless even in the middle of this competition, but she was also robotically efficient. Akari had the roughest skill, but she moved like the wind, and you could never tell where she was. Spikes bounced off her arms while her own flew like bullets and were just as impossible to intercept. Kiami was more graceful, always seeming to effortlessly be where she needed to when she needed to. Until she acted, it was almost as if she wasn't there. Erika and Hinagiku were opposite equals, showing more natural but still amazing physical prowess and skill, matching and exceeding anything the other team did. And Sakura gently controlled the flow; anytime the ball came near her she seemed to be able to reach out and make it go as softly as she wished wherever she wished.

By the time the dust cleared, the middle school girls had triumphed, 21-11 in the final score. Kain stared in shock. "Wow," he murmured. "That was…incredible."

"Told ya," Mai giggled as she made her way out to congratulate her classmates.

Kanade celebrated with the others for a moment, then dashed over the high schoolers, who had collapsed to the ground, defeated. "Ha!" she crowed. "Now, this is officially our court! And, you guys are Kain-sensei's slaves…."

Kain put a hand on Kanade's head and ruffled her hair roughly to silence her. "Okay, Yûki-san, that's enough; I'll take it from here."

As Kanade walked away, muttering in annoyance, Kain crouched down and met the stares of the defeated girls. "Well, I don't need any silly thing like slaves, so you're off the hook there. From now on, however, you will stick to your proper court and not try to take over other people's. If not…well, I am a teacher here. It won't go well for you."

And then the bell rang. The class groaned as Kain rose and clapped his hands. "And that's the bell. Okay, ladies, back to the showers and then to your next classes."

He watched them file away, thinking hard on what he had just witnessed. The skills of his students were awe-inspiring, even to someone like him…all the more to him, since he was well aware than none of them had used magic, any actual spells. He had been checking.

He had two things to take from this event. The first was that he should trust his students more…and perhaps keep an eye on them. The second was…that Mai was right. He needed to be more reserved with his magic. He wasn't using it constantly out in the open, and when doing so was trying to be discreet, but he still tended to think to a magic solution to any problem. First, last, and only.

Perhaps he would do better to wait and see if any other solution presented itself.

Author's Note: Character Description: Nodoka Miyazaki, Yue Ayase, and Ami Mizuno.

The last chapter, with Kain and Hinagiku's epic ghostbuster adventure, was a little long, and so this short chapter completes the Might and Magic story arc. It is, of course, finally a return to Negima story rip-offs (as opposed to Hayate rip-offs), an adjustment of the dodgeball adventure from the original. I decided to change it to a volleyball match instead of dodgeball, because I don't care for the childish high schooler comments. Besides, it was more fun to do volleyball, since we have a volleyball player on the team. More on her later; on to the character mini-bios.

_ Nodoka Miyazaki was my favorite character from the original Negima story—and my 6th favorite anime girl of all time. True, her affection for a 10-year-old child was kinda creepy, but for her, it was well presented. Her adoration towards the boy who saved her life only provided a surface for her feelings to build on, as she grew drawn in by Negi's devotion to his duties, a trait that made him more adult even than the girls under his care. And, of course, the terribly innocent and cute way that she pursues her love is endearing. So, she gets to return with pretty much the entirety of her original character.

_ Yue Ayase, Nodoka's best friend, is another great character and the second of the three I decided to retain. Her hatred of studying and contrasting intellectual nature combine to make an interesting dichotomy. She is Nodoka's support and primary cheerleader. She takes to the magical world like a fish to water…once she finds out about it. With Nodoka here, she's practically a necessity. As an unnecessary note: it hardly matters in a written story, as one can use all the imagination at one's disposal, but, as my main exposure to the Negima story is through the manga, the manga images are most prominent to me. In all the manga images, when colored, Yue has this blue-purple hair, as seen above, but in the anime they made her a more blue-green. I have described her with the blue-purple hair. Again, however, you are free to imagine her with blue-green hair if that's your main image of her.

However, the third member of their trio, Haruna Saotome…well, I can't stand her. Her more violent driving of Nodoka helps the girl pursue her love more fiercely, but that's the only good point I see in her. If you don't know Haruna, well, no loss, but she is a manipulating megalomaniac would-be manga-ka who loves to sow _discord and chaos through rumors and anything else she can use. I have no desire to use her or a similar replacement.

But Yue can't support Nodoka all on her own, so I decided to add my original favorite anime girl, Sailor Moon's Ami Mizuno (still falling into place at number five in my current rankings). She is actually a rather reserved character, so in some ways does not fit the big Nodoka-pusher role; she will be slightly more outgoing than her original so she can do it some, even if she won't mimic Haruna's off-the-wall antics. This can be reasonably chalked up to an Ami who acquired friends earlier in her life. She loves Nodoka and Yue and wants to help and support them in all she can. She is the brilliant mind of the class, surpassing even the incredible leaders Hinagiku and Erika, even the mad scientist Caria…and only trailing the mysterious Sakura. Who is Sakura, the girl even smarter than Ami? Only time will tell.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Five: The Great Library Debacle, Part I

Weeks went by. Kain settled into his routine, got to know his class, became adjusted to life at the Academy.

He had many 'adventures' with his crazed class, although he (mostly) managed to avoid putting magic into any of them. For instance, there was Hinagiku's birthday during the Hinamatsuri festival, March 3rd. Hina told everyone she wanted a quiet little dinner with her family and closest friends. So, naturally, Miki, Izumi and Riza threw her a massive party in the main hall of the girls' middle school building that had half the Academy present. Such was life at Mahora.

Finally it neared the ides of March, which would mark the year's final exams.

"It seems Kain-kun is doing a fine job," the principal murmured as he read Kain's latest report. "It is, perhaps, a little early, but I think we should give him his final task, eh, Shizuna-san?"

"I'll go and fetch him, Higurashi-dono," Shizuna replied.

Kain was surprised to see Shizuna waiting for him as he left his class that Friday morning. "Shizuna-san…is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes. The principal would like to speak with you, concerning your final task."

Kain's heart thumped a bit quicker. The Final Task should be capitalized, because it would be the end of this step on his path towards becoming an Archmage. "Of course! I'll go right away."

He had often dreamed of his Final Task, of several Final Tasks, when he was planning out his life back at the University. He had imagined himself fighting a dragon, vanquishing a team of slavers, doing some Great Thing. Considering that he had spent the last few weeks doing nothing more dangerous than keeping his class in line, he doubted that his task would be something as great as he'd once wished for and tried to temper expectations. Well, there was still plenty of time….

The principal greeted Kain cheerfully as he entered. "So, how are you faring thus far, Kain-kun?"

Kain retained his patience and answered the small talk. "It's been a different experience, but I find myself able to handle it. They're good girls, and they work hard for the most part. It's…well, it's been fun."

The principal nodded. "Good. Glad to hear it. Well, Kain-sensei, as your first task on your postgraduate program was to teach at my school, we assigned you a teacher-in-training status, and it is appropriate that you move forward having earned the full title of teacher. To that end, your test, the final task we've assigned you, is this: the final exams are coming up for your class, and to succeed, your class must not take last place amongst the 2nd grade girls' middle school classes."

Kain stared. He had been expecting something teaching related, but this took him by surprise. "Not last? In other words, out of the twenty-five classes, my class must take 24th place or higher? That sounds rather easy…."

"Ho," the old man chuckled. "Do you think so? Well then, I guess you don't have anything to worry about. Which is good, because if you fail, you won't be able to teach here any more, and then my cousin will have to decide what to do about your status."

The principal moved on to talk to Kain about other matters, and it was about lunch time when Kain left the building. He mulled over the principal's assigned task, and his reasons. Apparently he believed that not finishing last was a difficult task for 2-A. That didn't seem to make sense. After all, while 2-A had the infamous 'Baka Rangers', it also had geniuses; five of the top six girls in the grade were in his class.

"I don't see how we could ever take last," Kain murmured.

"Ah, Kain-sensei's talking to himself!"

"It seems he's cracked."

"The stress of dealing with us has aged him beyond his time."

Kain started and turned to find the lead Baka Rangers confronting him—Izumi, Miki, and Riza. "Oh…good afternoon. Sorry, I was just…considering…."

"What's on your mind, Kain-sensei?" Izumi asked cheerfully.

There would be no harm in sharing the basic facts. He explained that the class' final exam would determine his status—official teacher, or disgraced former teacher.

"Ah, so you were talking about whether we would take last or not," Riza chuckled. "It seems Kain-sensei underestimates the stupidity of our class."

"Eh?"

"Have you ever looked at our class' overall grades over the past two years?" Miki queried.

"Er…no…."

"Since we became a class at the beginning of first year middle school, we've taken last every single time!" Izumi announced. Kain was beginning to wonder if it was possible for the bubble-headed girl to not be cheerful.

"But, that can't be right!" Kain insisted. "We have so many good students…."

"That's right," Riza agreed. "We have natural super women like Sakura, Erika and Hina. We have geniuses like Ami and Caria. But we also have us, the Baka Rangers!"

"Really, there are so many smart people at this school, the top two hundred scores are all within a few percentage points of each other," Miki added. "We have the very best, but few classes have as many idiots as our class does."

Kain was really beginning to wish that they wouldn't sound so proud of their status as incompetents.

He thanked them out of cultural requirement and headed for his dorm to think upon this matter.

The three watched him go. "Maybe we shouldn't have told Kain-sensei that," Izumi remarked. "He seemed kind of depressed."

"Well, I can't blame him," Riza mused. "He has his work cut out for him."

"I do feel sorry for him," Miki agreed. "I think he's a better teacher for us than others. Maybe we should do something about this."

Kain paced about in his room, thinking. Apparently this assignment would be more difficult than he had thought. He certainly had plenty of students he could rely on, but….

How could he go about raising their scores? That was the most important point….

He could always use magic. He knew a half-dozen spells that could lead his students to get better grades. As an aspiring Archmage, a few quick enchantments would be proper, even expected….

Kain shook his head. What was he thinking? He had been careful to restrict his magic use after his first few days, so that there would be no chance of any more 'accidents'. Perhaps he was suffering from withdrawal. He couldn't come up with many other reasons as to why he had such a crazy thought. In a normal school, he could probably get away with it. It was unlikely, however, that such an action would escape the principal's notice. Furthermore, regardless of how unrelated to his mission this assignment seemed, he would never forgive himself for taking the easy way out of the situation.

He couldn't let his passion—honestly, his obsession—run rampant over his common sense.

The tests would be Monday. It was now Friday. He had an option to prevent him from going crazy and making mistakes—he could seal his own magic, turning him into an ordinary person, but only for three days. If he cast the seal now, he wouldn't regain his magic until Monday morning. At first thought, that would be the day to use magic to interfere, but Kain wouldn't see his students until after the tests were over. On the other hand, if he had his magic over the weekend, he might be tempted to give the Baka Rangers some sort of improper boost.

He was decided. If he was going to do this, he was going to do this right.

He pulled up his left sleeve and chanted the spell. Three tattoo-like bars coalesced into existence on his arm, and the feel of magic left him. Not completely; he still had a sense of the magic around him (minimal in this place, unless he was near the tree) but he wasn't able to draw in any of it. The feeling of impotence was somewhat frightening, but Kain was prepared. He likely wouldn't have much of a need for his magic here, especially only for three days….

Now he just had to come up with a way to get his students to study enough over the weekend to escape the bottom slot….

The students were chattering away before classes resumed, blissfully unaware of the dangers inherent in the coming test…until Izumi, Miki and Riza came bursting into the room. "We've got news!" Izumi announced first.

The class fell to silence as they turned to stare at the trio. "Kain-sensei is going to be graded on our final exams this year. He'll be promoted to full teacher after the exam…provided we don't finish last again."

"Eh?" The class fell back to chattering excitedly with this news. But Yue put forth the voice of reason: "And what happens if we do finish last?"

"Well, in that case Kain-sensei will be sent back home in disgrace," Miki explained.

The class cried out in despair almost at once. One voice cut through the mass of sound, however. "Oh, dear," murmured Alyssa from her seat in the back corner. "Poor Kain-sensei. His tenure among us was short-lived. I guess we'll be having Katsura-sensei back for the next year."

"D-don't make assumptions like that!" Hinagiku retorted. "There's still plenty we can do…."

The rest of the class didn't seem to meet this statement with much enthusiasm. "Yeah…maybe…" Kaoru murmured. "I mean, I don't want Kain-sensei to go, sure, but we're always last. What are we supposed to do?"

"Study? We could use a novel concept," Kiami put in levelly.

"Well, we better come up with something, because that's not the worst of it!" Riza interrupted. As everyone turned to stare at her, she continued, "In fact, if we finish last again, we won't be moving on to the 3rd grade as a class. The class will be disbanded! And we'll all be sent to redo school from the kindergarten level!"

This caused a brand new uproar. "What?! There's no way that would happen!" Hinagiku insisted.

"No, it's true!" Miki rejoined. "We spoke with Kain-sensei himself right after he spoke with the principal. They're tired of our class performing so poorly. If we don't improve ourselves, we're doomed!"

"Eh?" Izumi asked, confused at this recent turn of events.

The class didn't notice Izumi, however, and instead collapsed into a new roar of fright. There was sorrow at the news that Kain might be lost to them as a teacher, but now there was genuine terror attached to the prospects of the upcoming exam.

"We can't let this happen!" Kanade finally enthused, taking command in the chaos. "Well, we know where we stand. Baka Rangers, this is all on you!" She pointed at the trio, and the rest of the Rangers were within convenient camera range of them so all seven fell within the snapshot. "You've got to find a way to improve your grades before the test next week!"

Riza and Miki's small smiles of triumph froze. "Oh, I almost forgot," Riza muttered. "We are the weak link here, aren't we?"

"But asking us to improve our grades enough to save Kain-sensei…oh, and the class of course…doing it in one weekend is impossible," Miki added.

"Not necessarily," replied Yue. She was contemplating something.

"Do you have something in mind, Yue-chan?" Izumi asked her.

"Yes, there may be something we can use…."

That night, announce the narration subtitles….

With only a few lights illuminating their path, a group of individuals gathered in front of Library Island.

Kain yawned. "What's this about, anyway?"

Yue made a sweeping gesture towards the building. "We can't allow tragedy to befall our class because of the upcoming exams, so we're here to do something about it."

"Tragedy?" Kain wondered, blinking sleepily. Then his eyes widened. "Wait, you don't mean…."

"That's right, Sensei," Miki said quickly. "We've told the class all about the circumstances, and we aren't going to let it happen. We will surpass our previous scores and take 24th place."

"I see we're setting the bar pretty high," Kaoru muttered.

"Great," Mai sighed. "But what are we doing here, exactly? And why'd you drag me out here?"

The assembled group consisted of the Baka Rangers: Yue, Riza, Miki, Izumi, Kaoru, Kiami and Akari. They had dragged both Kain and Mai out of bed to join them. Also present were the library officials of the class: Nodoka, Kazumi, Matake, and Ami.

Yue turned to the assembled group and began to lecture them. "As you are all aware, this is Library Island. This is where our Library Exploration Club goes to explore. In the depths of this library is a magic book that will make the reader smarter. We must retrieve this book to give our class any chance of raising our score. Of course, if we are successful, 24th place would be nothing. It would be easy for us to take first if even the Baka Rangers score highly."

"Okay," Mai sighed. "So the Baka Rangers are here to use the book to get smarter. The librarians are here to help your exploration, right? But what about me? Why'd you drag me out here?"

"Because you're the only person in the class with any grades worse than the Baka Rangers," Riza informed her.

"What are you talking about?"

Miki showed Mai her cell phone. Everyone gathered around and saw the photo of Mai's last history test score and its remarkably low number. "Your grades are generally acceptable," Miki explained as Mai reddened. "But your history scores are really terrible. Just in case, we need all the edge we can get. Congratulations, Mai. Today you're an honorary Baka Ranger. You can be Baka Ranger Pink."

Mai muttered darkly to herself as the girl closed her cell phone. Kain recalled that Miki was the daughter of a prominent politician and had a bad habit of finding secrets and investigating where she shouldn't. It was a testament to the skill of the magicians at Mahora Academy that their secret hadn't been exposed yet.

He put that thought aside and instead turned his attention towards this venture. The class had roused him and, without fear, brought him with them as they prepared to, quite frankly, begin an illegal invasion of the library. He was, quite honestly, in a bit of a pickle. He could attempt to shut the little venture down, but with the Baka Rangers as determined as they were, this seemed impossible. Also, he was naturally curious about both this supposed magic book and the dungeon-like depths of Library Island. He had mixed feelings about the ethics of looking for a magic book to get them to pass the exams when he had sealed his own magic so he wouldn't use it to help them. With so much confusion, the easiest thing to do was nothing. He somehow felt that everything would work out as long as he kept an eye on things.

And, well, he was touched that the class was so concerned about losing him that they'd gathered together to explore an unknown and dangerous area to find a mythical book because it was the only chance they felt they had of saving him.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Kaoru demanded. "Let's get going already."

"We're waiting for our other helpers," Matake explained. "We don't have all the keys to get all the way into the deepest part of the library's dungeon."

"Helpers?" Akari asked. "What helpers?"

"Ahahaha! What helpers indeed! Here we are!"

Standing dramatically now at the edge of the light were eleven somewhat familiar faces. The collected middle schoolers stared at them for several moments before Kaoru started. "Hey! The old volleyball ladies! What are you doing here?"

"Don't call us old ladies!" they yelled, and then recovered. "Yes, we lost that epic volleyball battle to your class. And, as was agreed, we are now Kain-sensei's slaves."

The eleven were suddenly surrounding Kain, falling over him. "Your slaves are here, Kain-sensei! We won't let you get removed from your position! Our lives are yours!"

Several of Kain's class rallied to clear space for their embarrassed, beleaguered teacher. "I thought I said there was no point in you becoming my slaves," Kain hissed.

"Ah, but we agreed to it, so we are forced to deal with the consequences," the leader replied, cupping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Liar!" Kaoru yelled. "You old ladies are just using excuses to cling to Kain-sensei!"

"In any case," she continued, ignoring the younger girl, "even the Library Exploration Club, since its most senior members are middle schoolers, only have keys to the first few sub-levels of the library. Only high-schoolers and college studentw get keys to the lower levels." She held up the key, showing it to them all. Then she dropped it into Kain's hand. "And now, we've accomplished our mission, and we're off. If you brats let anything happen to our master, you'll have to answer to us!"

The 2-A girls glared after them or made faces for a few moments as they departed. Then they turned back towards the library.

The Baka Rangers (including the honorary member), Kain, and Nodoka ventured into the library, while Kazumi, Matake and Ami remained above ground to provide directions and communication. Nodoka accompanied her Baka Ranger best friend and, as one of the most experienced explorers among them, served as guide for the upper levels.

And she worked with Yue to find and disable the traps.

Yes, traps. The library seemed normal at first, although it was unusual for a library to have a basement, but then the basement had a set of stairs, and it went down for a ways before arriving at a new level. And the new level was…well, to call it a book storage was a kindness. It was indeed a chamber that stored books. However, the entire level practically seemed constructed out of books. There were, not just shelves, but walls of stacked books, with little tunnels inside them. And Kain, running ahead to investigate, was nearly perforated by a hail of arrows.

"What kind of place is this?" he muttered.

"We did warn you about the traps, Sensei," Yue replied.

Izumi laughed nervously. "I'm not sure about this," she said. "This place seems awful dangerous. Should we be doing this?"

"Ah, not to worry," Mai soothed her. "I'm sure we'll be all right."

She sidled over the Kain. "And," she whispered, "if anything gets really bad, you can use your magic to save us…discretely, of course, right?"

Kain glanced at her askew. "No, I can't," he replied flatly. Mai leaned back, nonplussed, and Kain continued, "You're the one who warned me I shouldn't rely on my magic so much, that I should keep it under wraps, right?" He pulled down his sleeve to show Mai the markings of his seal. "I sealed my magic for the next three days so I wouldn't be tempted to use it to help you cheat. Right now, I'm as normal as you are."

"Eh…you picked a lousy time to go cold turkey."

"Anything the matter, Mai?" Miki asked.

"No, nothing! Let's continue on!"

The best way to think of the dungeon under the library is…a dungeon from a role-playing video game, but with a great deal more books. There were passages and rooms that had no real rhyme or reason, and, of course, more traps, which Nodoka and Yue found and bypassed or disarmed. Throughout the journey, Yue also explained the history and purpose behind Library Island and its dungeon: supposedly, during the last great war (World War II), Mahora Academy's library, already among the largest of its kind in all the world, swelled as books from all over the world were brought to it for safe keeping. It had its huge amounts of underground storage prepared ages ago, and the librarians in charge kept collecting more and digging deeper…and, of course, building traps to deal with book thieves. Apparently they didn't care for any honest knowledge-seeking students, either, as the traps were lethally dangerous to all equally. In any case, the Library Exploration Club had been formed years ago to explore, catalog and organize (as possible) the multiple (multiple!) levels of stored books.

Although they had never been seen as athletic or sporty, Yue and Nodoka were actually well-conditioned from their library explorations. They stayed in the lead, taking care of the nuisances. Kaoru was athletic, being a track member, and Kiami and Akari were dominant martial artists, so they were fine. Things were a bit tougher for the trio of Miki, Riza, and Izumi, who avoided working hard at anything when they could help it, and they complained the entire way. Mai wasn't in any clubs, but she was actually fairly fit, and she had no real problems. And Kain, of course, was no little child. Even without his magic, he was a capable young man in peak physical condition, and the going was easy for him.

Farther down, they found a pair of heavy doors blocking the way to a further stairwell. The key provided by the high schoolers opened it.

Yue, who seemed listless and uninterested in class, and Nodoka, who was almost terminally shy, proved to be excellent guides. They happily entertained (more or less) their wards with yet more tales of the library, its history, architecture, and every thing else they knew about it.

And, after 100 hours of game play and many side quests, our intrepid heroes….

Ah, sorry, wrong narrative.

Finally the group emerged into a larger chamber, a royal library, if you will. It was large and impressive, with regular shelves (but exquisitely made, fashioned of gold-enameled rare wood and other precious materials), marbled pillars, and, at the other end of it, a marvelous silver stand upon which sat a jewel-encrusted book.

"Ah…there it is! We made it!"

"No! Wait!"

The majority of the party charged forward, despite the protests of the more sensible members, who then charged after them in an attempt to stop them. As Kaoru neared the dais, the ground suddenly sunk underneath them, dropping them all into a small pit.

"Oh…ow…."

As the children picked themselves up and tried to make sense of what had happened, they suddenly looked up as a shadow loomed over them. Some sort of giant armored figure was leaning over the pit above them. "HO," it boomed. "SEEKERS OF THE TREASURED BOOK, YOU MUST FACE THIS CHALLENGE TO PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY OF IT!"

"Challenge?" Kain murmured. "And what 'challenge' would that that be?" And why does that hollow, empty voice sound familiar?

The class looked around and noticed that the ground they were standing on was filled with Japanese characters. They were arranged in small circles, slightly larger than hand-sized, on a slightly elevated stage. "Is this…like a Twi**er stage?" Izumi asked.

"TO PROVE YOUR WORTHINESS, YOU MUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BY POSITIONING YOURSELVES ON THE CORRECT CHARACTERS!" boomed the figure above. "THIS IS CALLED…LANGUAGE TWISTER!"

Body Boggle, Kain mentally corrected the figure. It's based on the Twister game, but it also comes from the English word game Boggle. He had seen this game before, although it was very rare. There probably weren't any people in Japan who had actually seen it, or knew it existed. The creator of this 'Language Twister' likely thought it was their unique invention.

"Eh…." The class stared at the board, examining its options.

"QUESTION 1: WHAT IS THE JAPANESE WORD FOR: TO CUT?"

And this is where telling a mainly Japanese story in English somewhat fails, because the odd referee announced most of his phrase in Japanese save for the final two words, actually stating 'to cut' in English. It is important to note this because, for the most part, the party members glanced at each other, confused. Considering they consisted mostly of Baka Rangers, they didn't have much chance of translating the English phrase.

Kain, however, was naturally a native English speaker. "Ah, to cut is kiri!" he told his class. "Who's near the characters for 'ki' and 'ri'?"

Nodoka tentatively reached out her hand to ki while Izumi put a foot on ri.

"REMEMBER!" boomed the voice. "ONCE YOU'VE CORRECTLY TOUCHED A CHARACTER, YOU CAN'T MOVE YOUR BODY FROM TOUCHING IT UNTIL THE CHALLENGE IS COMPLETE!"

"What!" Izumi cried, aghast. "You didn't mention that when we started this stupid game!"

"NOW, QUESTION 2!" insisted the referee, ignoring the complaint.

With help from Kain, the class began to spread themselves around the board. Naturally, because of the strange anime legal requirement that Japanese schoolgirls go on adventures in their school uniforms, they put themselves in rather compromising positions. Kain was eventually forced to join in as the number of questions rose above ten and the number of free limbs began to diminish, and he had the hardest time trying to position himself in a manner that did not, as it were, take advantage of the situation.

"How much more of this is there?" Izumi wailed.

"FINAL QUESTION: WHAT IS THE JAPANESE WORD FOR: DISH?"

"Finally, the last one," Mai moaned.

"Ah…dish…osara!" Kain translated.

"Osara…." Yue stretched out a foot to land 'o'.

Akari easily handed 'sa'.

And Mai and Kaoru stretched out a leg each….

And put it on 'ru'.

Not 'ra'.

"Osaru?" Kain muttered. Its translation was 'monkey'.

"WRONG!" The giant brought a huge hammer down on the board, shattering it and revealing a massive hole underneath.

"Mai, Kaoru, you monkeys!" shrieked Riza as the class fell, screaming, into darkness.

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Kaoru Konoe

The Great Library Adventure is the first major Negima story arc, and one that is fun to replicate. Most of the points behind this little story I'm keeping, but some of the points have loopholes that I've tried to make a reason for—for instance, Negi (who has caused a lot (lot) more unintentional mischief with his magic than Kain up to this point) decides to seal his magic for three days so he won't be tempted to use it to help the class (which would probably just disrobe them all, if it imitates the results of Negi's magic thus far). I've had Kain imitate his action, even though he has much better control of his magic. The plot hole is that Negi seals his magic for three days, and the final seal releases the day of the test. In other words, he should technically have plenty of opportunity to use his magic once his seal is gone. However, the timing of the final seal releasing is important for story purposes. So I've done my best to clean up the reasonings behind it so it makes a modicum of sense, at least.

Also, I have made mention to events with no real details: the first meeting between Erika and Kain. Hinagiku's birthday. Those who have seen these anime or manga may be familiar with the events and, as shown, I intended to have them…but here, I wanted to get the main Negima story underway and blow past the fluff in order to reach the good parts. Later on I will go back to these interesting but not super-necessary moments in a kind of 'Side Stories' mini-Act.

And I didn't intend originally to keep the Twister game, as it is just an obvious fan service plot device, and one that would be excruciatingly stupid to relate in detail any more than I did here (in a written story, at least), but it is one with a purpose (not a necessary one, but still, a purpose) and, as stated, doesn't matter much in prose. The main reason I kept it is simply so I can do the shout out to the Body Boggle game, the actual word version of Twister that my family has. And a shout out from a Hay*te the Combat But*** character, a series that frequently makes reference to pop culture (Japanese pop culture, anyway) but always censors it to (supposedly) avoid lawsuits. This is a one-shot joke I'm not going to bother continuing. At least, not all the time, like they do in Hayate.

Changing gears…one of the more vocal Baka Rangers present this time is Kaoru Konoe, who I kidnapped from the far past (1960s) from a show called Gatekeepers. I'll save the picture for a more meaningful place for her down the road. Kaoru is a dedicated track athlete who wants to compete in the Olympics, but gains the power of the Gate and is recruited by the superhero team of Gatekeepers called A.E.G.I.S. She is my favorite character from that series. Although initially a proud and stubborn brat when they first attempt to recruit her, she is quickly swayed by the hero's determination and develops a big crush on him, and decides to actively compete for his hand against his childhood friend. Because Shun and Ruriko (the hero and aforementioned childhood friend) are clueless and stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their feelings, they have no idea what Kaoru is talking about when she declares that she will not lose to Ruriko and they have no idea what she's so competitive about. This is one of my all-time favorite Anime Confessions….

Anyway, Kaoru is brought in partly to replace Makie Sasaki, the gymnast of Mahora class 2-A. I really like Makie too, but she just doesn't have quite enough presence for me to keep, so I put in a suitable athletic replacement. Kaoru wasn't noted as a particularly bad student, but since Makie was Baka Ranger Pink and I needed more Baka Rangers to balance the geniuses, I went ahead and gave her bad grades in this incarnation (but changed the color, because Kaoru is a bit too tomboyish for pink). Kaoru's determined devotion is similar to Makie's, and with no crazy iinchô constantly trying to seduce him, she is going to become the most helplessly forward and angst-ridden suitor of Kain in the future. Other aspects of her original personality will also work well towards filling in Makie subplots later on….

As you've probably realized, while this series tones down the ecchi humor quite a bit, it is still largely a comedy story, in some ways more so than Negima because of the comedy characters I've added, and so the narration frequently has ridiculous jokes and anime and/or camera references in it. Tired of it yet? Even though the action portion will start soon, there's a whole lot more coming….


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Six: The Great Library Debacle, Part II

Kazumi, Matake and Ami had been communicating with the party as they ventured down into the depths. The Library Exploration Club actually commanded a fairly sizeable budget from the academy due to the school's special nature, and so their high-powered two-way radios kept them in constant contact even as they entered the deepest levels…until the golem smashed the floor, dropping them all even deeper. The last thing they heard before the lines went dead was their screams as they fell….

And so, naturally, the three of them started panicking. "W-what should we do?" Kazumi wailed. "I-if something's happened to them…we have to get a, a teacher, or, no, the principal, or…."

"Calm done, Kazumi, just…calm down," Matake soothed her. "We…we just have to think of something…."

"W-well, we could go talk to the Robotics Development Society," Ami ventured. "If we explain the situation, I'm sure they can help us modify our radios in order to boost the signal so we can reestablish contact."

This was the best idea any of them had. Unfortunately, it was still the middle of the night, so they had to wait for the morning. They went home and attempted to get some sleep, but it was slow in coming.

Sleep had overcome the adventurers of the Baka Rangers Book Retrieval Mission.

Magic—not his, since it was sealed—had been used to preserve them from what was probably a thousand-foot fall. The entire party had passed out from fright (but, fortunately, not died) during the fall, but Kain awoke immediately upon touching down softly due to the feel of the magic preserving them.

He gathered his students together carefully, starting with Izumi, who had fallen into water and had to be saved from drowning, and then set out to explore the place of their arrival. After wandering around for a length of time, he concluded that this must be the world's only cavernous library resort. If you pick a cavern, a resort, a library, or any other type of location you could visit, it would certainly not include the entirety of the following articles: sheer rock walls encompassing them on all sides, but distant; a sandy beach-like terrain surrounded by a growth of jungle trees; a large pure water pool next to this beach (which Izumi had fallen into); bookshelves loaded with books, particularly academic books; a hot spring out beyond the thick growth of jungle; a kitchen and food storage, complete with running water; toilets, complete with running water, laundry facilities, and showers; lighting simulating an artificial sun coming from the ceiling; a closet of sleepover items (futon, blankets, pillows, etc.); and a closet of educational items such as chalk, papers, small desks, a rolling chalkboard, etc.

There was not, however, any exit he could find. He had just about completed his explorations when he felt a slight burning on his left arm and lifted the sleeve to see one of the tattooed bars melting away as if being consumed by fire. That would mean that it was dawn on Saturday; two more days and he could use magic to get them out of this mess….

He went back down to the 'beach' where he had left the girls and saw Mai stirring. She awoke and slowly rose, blinking sleepily as she looked around. "What happened?" she murmured dreamily. "We…we were in that weird dungeon, and had to do that weird Twister game, and then we fell…."

"And we ended up here," Kain finished. "Yep, that about sums it up."

Mai shook her head and groaned. "Oh, I was hoping it was a dream." She started to rise to her feet. "So where is 'here'?"

Kain explained the situation to Mai. She listened silently and remained silent when he finished. "So, we're stuck here, then," she finally murmured.

"Not completely, no." Kain revealed his wrist to Mai. "These are the marks of the seal I put on myself to restrict my magic. One disappears each morning at dawn, so Monday morning I'll have my magic back. I think this constitutes 'extreme circumstances'; I'll just have to figure out a convincing explanation for our sudden exit."

Mai stared at him. "Monday morning? Didn't you seal your magic so you couldn't use it to help us cheat? Sounds like you'll have plenty of time to use it to cheat after it goes away Monday morning."  
"Well, I wasn't supposed to see you. On the other hand, I could have run into the class yesterday afternoon and cast a spell on all of you as soon as I heard the news; that would have been the best time, so that's why I sealed it immediately."

Mai sighed. "Well, whatever. I guess we should be thankful for small favors. Still…we'll be stuck down here for two whole days?"

"Yes, but at least it's a livable environment," Kain replied, rising and looking around. "This place is suspiciously well-prepared for ten teenagers to stay at for a couple days."

Mai narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could ask him his suspicions Izumi sneezed, stirred to consciousness, and sneezed again, shivering. "W-what's g-going on?" she chattered.

One by one the rest of the girls began to stir and awaken. Kain had Mai take Izumi off to the facilities to help her deal with her misfortune while he explained the situation.

"So…we're stuck down here?" Miki asked flatly.

"Pretty much." Kain shrugged.

"So…what are we supposed to do?" Kaoru quavered.

"Well…." Kain turned away and examined the nearest bookshelf. "I guess we could study."

He was answered by silence as he perused a book, then replaced it and briefly investigated another one.

"Study? Are you serious, Kain-sensei?" Riza demanded. "We're stuck in a strange cavern underneath Library Island and you want us to study?"

"That's a dedicated, first-class teacher for you," Miki remarked.

"Right now, there's not a whole lot else we can do," Kain noted, searching another book. Yes, quite suspicious. All these books were material that class 2-A had been studying all year long. "We have no way to leave this place, so we might as well do something constructive.

"Of course, we don't have to spend the whole time studying," he continued. "But we can put plenty of time in to get ready for the tests."

"But if we're trapped here, can we even make it back in time for the tests?" Akari asked.

"We will." Kain snapped his latest book shut. "I promise that all of you will make it back in time for the test. I…can't explain why, but I ask that you trust me." He turned and flashed his best, most confident smile at them. "Believe me, we will get out of here on time."

"Ah, Kain-sensei is sounding reliable," Kiami noted. "If he promised us all straight A's in that tone of voice, I think I might believe him."

This brought the group some nervous laughter, but they soon settled down and agreed to attempt studying.

It actually wasn't nearly as difficult an ordeal as they at first believed. The exotic locale made for a rather stimulating study session. There was a pool and a hot spring they could bathe in—provided Kain wasn't looking—plenty of food stocked in the larder, and plenty of books besides the academic ones that made interesting reading on breaks. And, of course, while Kain wasn't a little young child plaything, he was a charismatic young man whose innocence made him great fun for most of the girls to tease.

The biggest difficulty, of course, was the lack of extra clothing. There was, however, little that could be done about it; it would have simply been too much if extra clothing in all the girls' various sizes had also been present here. Kain's suspicions were that such a thing was possible, but whoever set this up had obviously decided against going all the way into apparent stalker territory. That meant that, during and after baths or showers, the girls had the risk of being exposed, and if they wanted to wash their dirty uniforms (and/or worse, underwear) they had nothing to change into. Well, that wasn't entirely true; there were plenty of large towels, which some of the more daring (and malicious) girls could wear to torment Kain during their frequent study sessions, and also some robes that, while not ideal, at least could cover all the important parts well.

So the Baka Rangers (plus three) began their studying for the final exams under the most unlikely of circumstances….

"Ah, so what's this about?" Caria asked as she wandered around the table, checking instruments and making notes.

As Matake, Ami, and Kazumi drew in their breath to start their tirade of explanations regarding their missing comrades, Yukari, who had joined her roommates (Matake and Kazumi) and couldn't stop staring at the table's occupant, suddenly asked, "What's Miyu-san doing here?"

"Hmm?" Caria glanced up, distracted, and looked back and forth between the speaker and the apparent patient for several moments. "Oh! Well, I'm giving her a regular check up, of course. We have to make sure she's in perfect working order." Then, to Miyu: "Alright, go ahead and cycle through your arm options."

As the four watched in fascinated horror, Miyu raised her right arm and…changed it. With lightning speed but through obviously mechanical means the forearm disassembled and collapsed into the upper limb, and a blade came out; then that sword retracted and was replaced by a cannon; then the cannon switched itself into a large drill; and finally the drill was removed and returned to being a normal hand.

"S-she…she…Miyu-chan's a robot?" Kazumi quavered.

"That is almost correct," Miyu informed her. "My proper name is Multiple Intelligential Yggdrasil Unit. I am an android, or rather a gynoid—a machine in the form of a woman."

"That's right!" Caria smiled excitedly and began to babble. "You never noticed, did you? Miyu is my most marvelous creation! Of course, I couldn't have done it without the help of…."

"Y-yes, fascinating, but anyway, we have a problem, Caria-san," Ami interrupted. Caria settled down and looked at her, and Ami explained in brief the crusade the Baka Rangers had undertaken and their final disappearance.

"So, you need to boost the signal on your radios to contact them?" Caria asked, taking the device from Ami and examining it. "All right. First I suppose we should make sure we can get the signal strength to reach them." She handed the radio to Miyu. "Can you boost the signal and contact them, Miyu?"

"Of course, Caria-sama," Miyu agreed, taking it.

"Miyu is equipped with advanced communications and observation systems," Caria explained, again growing enthusiastic. "Of course, that includes a radio receiver, transmitter and booster…."

Miyu, still completely emotionless, activated the radio.

With the ultra-relaxed nature of the class and the amenities present, it would have been no surprise if some or all of the girls had been in the water when the call came over the radio. It's sometimes considered a requirement in anime that girls be in the bath during important events. This time, however, they happened to be in class—although many of them were dressed in the spare garments, having just left the bath—when a sound from back near the kitchen caught their attention.

As one body they turned and stared in that direction for a moment, then jumped to their feet to rush over and investigate.

Akari reached the radio first and snatched it up. "Um, hello?" she offered after managing to activate the radio on the first try. "Can you hear me?"

"Excellent," Miyu's voice came over. "We've made contact. Is your party's condition decent?"

"Ah? Er, yes?" Akari ventured. "We're all fine. We're just…trapped in a cavern down here."

They heard worried voices in the background as Miyu asked, "Is that so. Is there a conceivable way to leave without assistance?"

"Er, not that we can see. It seems we're completely closed in; we can't even tell how we fell into this place. However, Kain-sensei has promised us that we'll be able to get out of here by Monday."

There was silence for a few moments. "Ah. Kain-sensei has guaranteed this?"

"Er…yes?"

"Then there is nothing to worry about. I assume you would prefer we not let the staff to know of your predicament?"

"I think we'd prefer they not hear anything," Akari agreed.

"Very well. Then I think we shall leave everything to Kain-sensei." And then there was silence.

The assembled party exchanged glances. Then, in perfect harmony, every single one offered a different question.

"What was Miyu doing on the line?"

"How did they get the radio to work?"

"What happened to Ami/Kazumi-chan/Matake?"

"Is that it?'

"So that means no rescue?"

"Leave it Kain-sensei? Just like that?"

Kain coughed and clapped his hands. "Okay. Well, I guess that means our guides know about our condition. I hope. For now, let's get back to studying…."

Kain entered the kitchen. Mai, standing at the stove cooking, turned back to glance at him, nodded, and turned back to her work.

"Thanks for this," Kain mentioned. "We're quite in your debt with the work you're putting in here."

"It's nothing," Mai replied, reddening slightly at the praise and not looking in Kain's direction. "I like to cook. I don't get too much opportunity to show off my skills, really." She changed subjects. "So, have you thought about how you're going to get everyone out of here when you get your magic back?"

Kain hesitated before answering. He had suspicions that he might not even need to, but even to Mai, who knew his secret, he couldn't so easily explain others' secrets, especially when all he had were guesses. "I think so," Kain answered. "I actually have several ways of going about it, but…the trouble will be trying to make it seem natural. I'd rather not reveal my secret to nine more students all at once, nor would I like to have to erase everyone's memories…."

"Yeah…these girls have enough trouble remembering things as it is, don't they…."

Kain was about to reply, then winced as a burning sensation struck his arm. Mai, not expecting the silence, turned to see him pulling up his left sleeve. "Kain-sensei?"

"Well, that answers how much time we've been here." He held up his sleeve. "That's my second seal. One more day is all we have."

Mai stared for a second, nodded, and then turned back to her cooking. "Do you really think…this studying will help us pass our exams? I mean, with enough marks to avoid last place?"

"I don't know," Kain sighed. "I hope so. Still, it seems this place is little bit more conducive to helping these girls study than a standard class room…or the night duty room with Katsura-sensei." He glanced over at Mai. "I haven't thanked any of you for doing this."

"Eh? W-what do you mean? Doing…this?"

"Well, I mean, this…adventure of ours, I guess. You girls decided to raise your grades so we wouldn't finish in last place, right? Even if some of them seem to be going just for the fun of it more than anything, it still is amazing that you girls would go through this for my sake."

"For your sake? Oh, because you'll lose your position if we don't improve this time? Well, there's that, too, but it's also for…you know…."

Kain looked at her, confused. "Um, what?"

"The…other condition…affecting our class…if we take last place again?"

Kain thought for a second, trying to recall if he'd heard anything else, in case he missed something. "Sorry, but…nothing comes to mind. What are you talking about?"

Mai stared at him for several more seconds, then she finally sighed and hung her head. "Figures," she muttered under her breath. "After all, we heard it from those three. I should really know better by now…."

"What's that?" Kain asked, trying to make sense of all this.

"Never mind! It's nothing, Sensei, really. Please don't mention it again."

"Oh. All right…."

We shall now have a brief bath scene.

It is hours later. We've spent a good portion of time studying and not nearly as much goofing off as the girls are inclined to. Now, the students are soaking in the hot spring while their teacher is cooking dinner for them all.

Mai leaned back against the edge of spring, a soaking hand towel on her face. She sighed with small relief. Well, this certainly wasn't a terrible situation…true, being trapped was no fun, and there was certainly a lack of privacy, but they had everything they really needed to survive and quite a few of the most important comforts. And Kain-sensei was, of course, far more accommodating and gentlemanly than they could reasonably expect any boy their age to be in the same situation. It could certainly be a lot worse. Still, as she thought that the time limit for their imprisonment was approaching, she muttered, "Thank goodness this'll all be over soon."

"Hmm? Did you say something, Mai?" This came from Miki, who, as has been demonstrated, was exceptionally quick-witted and perceptive when it came to noticing things others didn't want noticed.

"Never mind," Mai replied flatly. "Come to think of it, don't you and Asakaze-san have something to say?"

Miki fell quiet too quickly. "…About what?"

"About what would happen to our class if we got last place on the exams again? Something about our class being disbanded…something that drove us to come here in the first place?"

"Er, oh, yeah, that…" Riza muttered. "Well, it looks like we're stuck now, aren't we?"

"What are you talking about, Mai-chan?" Akari asked, perplexed.

"N-nothing!" Riza shrieked.

"I spoke with Kain-sensei this morning. He was very grateful that we were going through all this just for his sake."

"Just for his sake?" Kaoru wondered. "But…didn't he say that our class would be in trouble if we failed again…?"

"He never said anything," Kiami pointed out. "However, as Tokiha says, Hanabishi and Asakaze assured us our class and school careers would be erased if we failed again. It appears that someone attempted to manipulate us with strange rumors."

As one body, the rest of the girls turned to stare at Riza, Miki…and Izumi.

"It wasn't our fault!" Riza cried suddenly, pointing. "Izumi is the one who spoke with Kain-sensei! She's the one who told us we'd be in trouble!"

"W-what?" Izumi shrieked, panicking over this accusation. "We were all there, Riza-chan! You and Miki-chan just made all that up yourselves!"

As the other eight girls fell to bickering, Yue lay calmly in the water next to Nodoka. "S-so that was all a lie?" Nodoka ventured nervously. "Our class isn't in any danger…?"

"I'm actually not surprised," Yue replied blandly. "Considering who the information came from, I suspected it all along."

"Eh? B-but, you led everyone here to find the book…."

"Yes, but it does seem that the part about losing Kain-sensei isn't a lie. We wouldn't want that, would we?" She turned and looked at her friend.

Nodoka blushed and slipped into the water a little. "N-no…."

Yue smiled slightly. Nodoka was the kindest, most endearing girl she'd ever met. Despite her shyness, Nodoka had saved Yue from a life of cynical solitude. Nodoka had always been afraid of boys—shy enough around anyone, but afraid of boys and what they might take it in their hearts to do. Even Takahata-sensei had often been treated as a pariah by Nodoka if they ever met outside of class. Now she had a boy that she was attracted to. Yue herself felt that Kain was a respectable young man and a decent enough person, and she certainly preferred him as a teacher to the barbaric Yukiji, so she would prefer that he stay as well. However, Nodoka truly cared for their young sensei…and to help her friend Nodoka, Yue would move earth and hell if she had to.

Kain heard the commotion coming through the trees as he emerged to inform the girls that dinner was prepared. He couldn't make out what they were arguing about, but he certainly didn't want to have to find out. He banged a metal ladle on a metal pot to catch their attention. "The meal is served!" he called. "Please get yourselves ready and come get it. I know we'd all regret it if I had to come over there and investigate what's going on, so…please don't make me."

The artificial sun was convenient in some ways, but it made it terribly hard to get a sense of time. The girls studied, partied, played and argued probably far longer than they should have, and went to bed at a time that could only be called 'late'.

Kain awoke fairly early. He had always seemed to need less sleep than the average person, due perhaps to the very active nature of his brain, which would never go quiet, but he found it especially difficult to sleep for any length of time under these conditions. The girls had found a nearly empty spare room off of the storeroom to bunk down in, out of the 'sunlight', and Kain made himself room in the storage room for school supplies. This kept them nicely separate, but still, he was extremely uncomfortable—probably more than the girls were—with the idea that he was alone with nine young women his age. Of course, he had been bunked uncomfortably near a great number of them back in the dormitory, but he had his own room with thick walls and solid locks, so it was bearable. Here, however, the doors had no locks and the walls were thin and little real comfort. He wasn't sure if he was worried about them doing something to him, or worried about losing control of himself and doing something, but it made it hard to sleep.

He wandered outside and down to the pool, then sat on the beach and just stared out. And now his real worries occupied his mind even more. He was expert at putting aside thoughts of problems he knew he had when they were (relatively) distant, but when the time neared that the check would be due, they came back to haunt him much more fiercely. He currently had two—soon his last seal would lift and he'd be able to get them all out of here, but he still couldn't figure out a really safe way of doing it and keeping his magic secret. He'd thought about 'discovering' some secret exit, but it still might be difficult to excuse his magic as some sort of special egress. Even if/when he got everyone out and back, they would still have the test. They actually seemed to be doing fairly well with these special lessons he'd been giving, but still, he couldn't help but be worried that they'd fail, and he then along with them….

The sound of a door opening behind him made him turn around. Dressed in one of the spare robes, Izumi stood sleepily in the doorway of the storeroom.

"Something the matter, Segawa-san?" Kain asked.

"Toilet," she muttered, making her way to the facilities.

Kain smiled briefly and turned away. Moments later, however, the ground began to shake, slowly at first, and then violently.

Kain rose, trying to keep his balance. What's going on? On cue, as he thought this, the door to the storeroom was thrown open again and Kaoru, leaning out, asked the question aloud.

Then, high up on the wall situated behind the collection of buildings, there was a sudden explosion of rock and gravel. A figure dropped out of the sky and crashed amongst the buildings.

It was large, familiar figure. The ogre-sized suit of armor rose up and looked around. "A-HA!" it intoned. "I HAVE FINALLY FOUND YOU, LITTLE INTRUDERS!"

Oh, wonderful. Kain had expected something would happen this morning…likely this morning…but he hadn't quite expected this. What was the game this time…?

The door to the toilets opened and Izumi peeked her head out. She stared up at the golem, panicked, and then pulled her head back in, slamming the door after her. The golem, however, reached down and easily peeled off the roof and looked inside. "BOO!" it boomed.

The door opened again and Izumi came running out in fright. The big lumbering beast reached out with a hand to grab her, but Kain darted in and swept her out of harm's way.

"Kain-sensei!"

Kain danced away from the clunking figure until he fell amongst the rest of the adventurers, who had risen and come out of their sleeping quarters to see what all the fuss was about. "That thing again?" Mai wailed.

"What's that on its head?" Miki asked, pointing.

Something was resting askew on the chrome dome of the armor's helm, something that glinted in the light.

"That's the book!" Yue said excitedly.

"And it looks like the armored thing broke in through there," Akari pointed out. Indeed, now that the smoke and dust caused by the monster's arrival had cleared, they could see a cavern mouth hole in the wall high overhead. Conveniently, it seemed the uneven rock edge of the cliff would make a perfectly acceptable staircase for accessing said hole.

"All right!" Riza enthused. "It looks like we've caught a break! Let's grab the book and blow this place!"

Kain stared at the approaching monster, and then nodded. "Okay. You girls gather up your stuff and head for the exit. I'll retrieve the book from that thing…."

"Now, now, Kain-sensei," Kiami reproved him. "You've done well, but don't try to take it all on yourself. Akari-chan and I will get the book, all right?"

"Eh? But…."

"Just watch," Akari assured him, slamming her fists together. "We'll take care of this. I've been a bit restless without any chance to exercise or train properly. This will be a good warm-up." The two launched themselves at the giant.

Kain stared as Akari moved in, avoided a clumsy hand reaching for her, and gave the big tin can a solid punch right to its torso. His eyes widened in astonishment as the golem lifted into the air and toppled over backwards. Then, even as it was falling, Kiami, with leaps that would have made a watching Olympic gold medal track and field star give up and retire, bounded over, snatched up the book and fled.

"Don't underestimate our Baka Rangers," Yue informed the stunned teacher, then grabbed his sleeve and started dragging him away.

The girls, naturally, had been sleeping in robes rather than their clothes, but Nodoka, Mai and Kaoru had managed to gather up all their belongings before they started their exodus. They reached the cavern where the hole was without any difficulty, and Akari and Kiami joined them up there just as they arrived.

"So…this is it?" Kiami asked, proffering the book.

"I hope so," Yue replied. "We'll have to make certain…after we leave. It looks like Mr. Armor is interested in coming after us."

Indeed, the metal monstrosity had finally picked itself up and was lumbering towards them. "STOP! THIEVES WILL BE PUNISHED!" it rumbled.

"Who says stop when asked like that?" Kaoru wondered as they hurried themselves down the tunnel.

"Can it make it up the stairs?" Izumi asked.

"I think the stairs were too narrow for it," Miki replied. "But I don't think we should relax yet…."

A shadow suddenly swelled behind them as the golem leaped into the tunnel's mouth and started after them.

"Why is this thing so unfair?!" Izumi wailed.

And then they found themselves stopped by a thick iron door. A plaque next to the door proclaimed: 'To pass this door, you must solve x:' A second plaque underneath it showed a basic triangle, with a couple side lengths with numbers, angles with numbers, and a third angle marked with x.

"We have to solve this problem to get by?" Riza cried in disbelief. "What is up with this place?"

"Well, this is supposed to be the dungeon of a school's library," Yue remarked passionlessly.

"This…is an easy problem," murmured Kiami, who was still holding the book. "It's thirty-three degrees."

There was a click, and the door opened automatically. Everyone stared at her, including Kain, who himself had been still trying to calculate. "It is a magic book!" Kaoru exulted. "You just have to hold it to make yourself smarter!"

"RETURN THAT BOOK, THIEVES!" boomed the construct.

They ignored it and instead hurried through the door. It opened into a spiral staircase that wound up. Another door opposed them after one flight. This one had a question about Japanese.

"Oh, let me try!" Kaoru took the book from the unresisting Kiami, and then thought for a minute. She answered the question, and the door opened.

They continued their way up, encountering doors, passing the book around and easily answering questions that they normally shouldn't have been able to answer. Even Mai could easily answer the history question presented to them when she held the book in her hands.

This is too easy, Kain thought. This really is a magic book, which I guess can't be that big of a surprise, but…there has to be some sort of catch here. Besides this bumbling, familiar, conveniently-timed guardian, I mean.

After passing through a twentieth door, there were presented with a hallway and an elevator. "Aha. And now, this is very suspicious," Miki muttered.

"Who cares?" Kaoru exclaimed. "It's a way out!"

The door opened for them, and they piled in. There were only two buttons inside, and they hit the 'up' button. Then a screen above the door suddenly proclaimed, simultaneously with a bell ring, 'Error. Over weight limit.'"

"What?!" the class exclaimed. "Izumi, how much do you weigh?" Kaoru demanded.

"You can't ask me that!" she retorted. "What about you?"

"It's Mai's fault!" Riza accused. "If she hadn't cooked us such tasty food…."

"Okay, I'm not going to stand for that kind of backhanded compliment…."

"GIVE UP, THIEVES! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

The golem had emerged from the stairs and was stomping down the hallway towards them.

"Look, we're barely over the weight limit!" Miki exclaimed. "The error goes away if I stick my foot outside. Probably ditching a few clothes would be enough…."

"This is hardly the time for a strip show," Kain hissed.

"It's a matter of life or death," Miki replied. "We must make sacrifices to escape. We'll start with Izumi."

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the one we always pick on."

Kain snatched the book up. "If we need nothing more than a few pounds, then getting rid of this will be fine," he declared, and hurled the book away. It arced through the air, struck the golem in the head, and knocked it back down the stairs. The elevator tolled a more positive sound, then the doors slammed shut.

The class stared in shock as the elevator started its ascent. "Why'd you do that?" Mai demanded. "I mean, not that I'm ungrateful you did it before we started losing clothing…but isn't that what we came for?"

Kain shrugged. "A toy like that isn't worth risking our lives over. We don't really need it."

"But we do need it!" Kaoru exclaimed. "If we don't have the book, there's no guarantee we'll be able to get the scores we need on the exams! You could be fired!"

"If that's as far as we can go, then I don't deserve this teaching job," he replied. "It seems the book was genuine…but we shouldn't rely on magic tricks to succeed."

The class stared, mesmerized. Then Miki broke the spell. "Truly spoken like a responsible teacher. That will make a great eulogy after you're fired."

Ami, Kazumi, Matake and Yukari milled about the library in panic. The test was about to start, but Kain and the girls hadn't surfaced yet, and they wouldn't be able to sit down and concentrate on it until they knew their friends were safe. They were alone, since all the other students were in their classes.

And then they heard the grinding in the back of the building. They started, then headed that direction. To their surprise, they found a pair of book shelves slid aside to reveal an open elevator, and the ten adventurers, all crammed together and slumped into one contorted pile. They glanced up at them with exhausted eyes.

"Ah…hello, ladies," Kain murmured. "We're back."

The rest of the class looked up in surprise as the door slid open and the thirteen students stumbled into the classroom. The newcomers stopped as Meia approached, placing a finger to her lips. "You're late, but luckily for you, not too late," Meia murmured. "By order of the principal, late arrivals must take the test in another room. Follow me."

They hurried back out, and Meia closed the door after she exited last. She caught sight of Kain standing sheepishly to the side and smiled slightly. "You certainly cut it close, Kain-sensei."

She took the late arrivals to another unused classroom close by and ushered them inside. Then she returned to the previous classroom.

Kain glanced through the window at Mai and the rest. Another teacher, one he couldn't quite recall, was inside of this classroom, keeping an eye on them. They looked rough. They were probably exhausted from the adventure, particularly the last couple hours. They certainly didn't look to be up to taking their most important tests of the year.

He sighed. He had wanted to avoid using magic to help them, and, of course, their own ignorant quest for a magical source of knowledge had left them worse off. And the worst part about that was that they had actually put in a lot of work in their study sessions in the underground cavern. He wondered if it had all gone to waste.

No reason to let that happen. His final seal had lifted shortly after the elevator ride started. It was somewhat ironic that, after all that, he could use his magic after all…not to cheat, per se, but to balance the scales a little and boost them up just a bit. At least, that's how he justified the matter to himself.

He lightly waved a finger, and a slight breeze blew into the room. The girls felt their exhaustion lift and their fatigue fly away as they breathed in the sweet smell. They looked around for a few seconds before returning to their tests; only Mai, who could raise the right suspicions, looked over and caught sight of Kain's back through the window as he walked away. She smiled slightly. At this point, she couldn't fault him any, either.

Kain stopped suddenly as he spotted the principal making his way down the hall. He nodded at Kain but walked by without saying anything. He walked into the room and sat through the tests. After all the tests were finished, he took the tests himself, to grade them personally.

The tests took the entire day, and the results weren't announced until the next day. For whatever reason, the school encouraged competitiveness between the classes, and so they announced the results of the exams—at least, the class results—via broadcast the next day. There was even a trophy for the class with the highest average score….

The class was gathered separately from Kain to listen. Although several chattered early about the possibility to take first, the broadcast presented the first place class at the start, and it was 2-E.

They continued to listen as they ran down through the rest of the letters, growing more and more depressed as the results went by without their class being called. Finally, the 24th place class was announced…class 2-N.

The class exchanged looks that mostly contained various degrees of shock. "That's it?! Last place again, after all that?!"

Kain, who had been listening in the teachers' lounge, smiled slightly to himself. "So, that's that," he murmured. "Oh well. I suppose it was fun while it lasted."

The class gathered en masse in front of Kain's room. Their knocks and clamoring were so insistent that he finally opened the door so they could clamor to him directly; it wasn't ideal, but it did allow him to (slowly) pack up his things while they made their noise.

"So that's it?" Kaoru demanded. "You're just packing up and leaving? You're not going to fight it?"

"What can I do?" Kain replied levelly. "This was the task I was given. I couldn't complete it, so that's it. I accepted the possibility when I agreed to this position."

"I-I'll talk to the principal about this!" Hinagiku insisted. "There has to be some kind of mistake!"

"It wouldn't do much good."

"Ah, I don't know about that, Kain-kun. Perhaps waiting for something to become official would be a wise move."

The noise ceased, and the gathered class parted to make room for him. Kain looked up, surprised, as the old man entered the doorway. "Oh, Higurashi-san," Kain began. "Um…."

"It's all right, Kain-kun," the old man stalled him, holding up a hand. "I hurried over as soon as I realized. I apologize for the mix-up, but, as it turns out, Hinagiku-kun is absolutely correct. In this case, there has been some kind of mistake."

As everyone stared at him in shock, he pulled a collection of papers from his sleeve. "Now, I took the opportunity to grade the tests of our…late arrivals myself. I was quite surprised at the results, to be honest. But it turns out I forgot to turn the test results over to our scorers so they could be added to the class' results. Hmm, yes, it seems you're all here, too, which is fine. Let me tell you the results of the tests….

"Asakaze-san. Sixty-one. Not the best result, but quite impressive for you."

He nodded at the girl, who posed and grinned proudly, and turned to Yue.

"Ayase-san. Sixty-eight. So close on so many questions, too."

Blast, Yue thought to herself. I tried so hard, too. I guess I just can't focus enough attention on school….

"Ogata-san, ninety-one. Naturally, you did fine.

"Konoe-san. Seventy! A record for you, I believe.

"Segawa-san. Sixty-three. Satisfactory as well.

"Tsukimori-san. Sixty-five. The Baka Rangers have all made impressive improvements on their grades, it seems.

"Tokiha-san. Eighty-five. Even your history score was decent this time around. Well done."

Most of the others didn't seem affected much by their announcements, but Mai couldn't help blushing as the principal praised her and turned to the next student. Kagome and Momo patted her on the back and shoulder.

"Hanabishi-san. Seventy-five. You might actually achieve good scores regularly if you would just put the effort in." Miki shrugged.

"Hirai-san, ninety-two. The class certainly missed your grade as well.

"Heiro-san. Sixty-nine. Quite a marked improvement here as well.

"Miyazaki-san, ninety-seven. You placed twenty-first in the grade, which is certainly about your usual.

"Mizuno-san. Ninety-nine point five. Only Sanada-san surpassed you, as usual.

"And, finally, Yoshida-san. Ninety-five. You, too, were sorely missed by the class.

"Now, with all these thirteen scores added in, the average grade of the class is 81.1 percent. The previous top class, class E, averaged 81.0 percent. So, in other words…class 2-A finished first among all the 2nd grade classes. Congratulations girls!"

The class stared in shocked silence for several minutes, digesting this announcement. Then they burst into cheers and clamored anew as the principal turned to Kain.

"And congratulations to you as well, Kain-kun. I believed you would manage to coax a few more points out of your class, but I didn't expect you to raise them this far. You have more than passed your test, and succeeded in your task. Now, are you ready to take over as their full-time homeroom and English teacher?"

The class quieted again for a few more seconds. "Eh? But, the class is done for the year…."

"Of course, I mean that Kain-kun will still be your teacher next year. His first assignment as an official teacher at Mahora Academy is to serve as homeroom and English teacher of class 3-A. In other words, this class."

Kain hesitated as the cheers started up once again. "Eh, Mr. Principal…" he began.

The old man waved him into silence. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about. Well, you certainly don't need to worry about packing anymore. Let's go back to my office to take care of the rest of the details, and leave the girls to their much-deserved celebration."

Kain followed him as he started away, but Miki suddenly blurted out, "Mr. Principal…where did you get that wound on your head?"

Everyone had been too preoccupied with Kain's imminent departure to pay attention, but the principal did have a bandage on the top of his large, bald head. "Oh, I tripped and hurt myself this morning," he answered almost happily. "You have to be careful even moving about when you're as old as I am!"

Kain held his peace until they were alone in the principal's office. He held it longer than he expected, because the principal started the conversation. "So, Kain-kun, are you unhappy with your new assignment? Were you hoping to graduate from teaching to something more heroic?"

"What? Oh, no, not at all! It's somewhat surprising, but I find I'm actually looking forward to…to staying with the girls."

The old man chuckled. "I expect so. Well, what's on your mind, then? You don't think I arranged things so that your class would take first place, do you? Do you suppose I cheated for you on your behalf?"

"Well…no, not really."

"Ho, not really, is it? I can assure you, Kain, that your class earned their merits all on their own. They received the place they deserved, and you may take satisfaction in your responsibility for that as the teacher that inspired them to exceed their limits."

Kain stared at the old man carefully, trying to read his face. The old man kept his amiable smile as he returned Kain's stare, blinking regularly, just like any normal person. He knows, Kain thought. He's aware of everything. He's an old, powerful wizard who's ruled this school for a long time. I doubt anything happens here that he doesn't know about. I bet he was responsible for spreading rumors about things like magic books and the like. His voice sounds very much like a threatening golem that chased us around, and that bandage is covering the same place I clocked the golem with the book. He prepared the study chamber for us; he set the whole thing up. Perhaps I…no, the whole class has been playing in the palm of his hand the entire time.

But he's telling me the honest truth here. I thought he might actually have rigged things for my class, but all he did was prepare to deal with their…energetic ideas. He left it to me to be a teacher, and I guess I must have passed the important parts of this little test.

"Of course," Kain finally replied. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Principal. I will do my best to continue guiding my students well."

The old man nodded. "I know you will, Kain-kun. I wish you the best of luck with your class this term."

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Kazumi Yoshida, Matake Ogata, and Yukari Hirai

A while back I numbered the twelve girls of anime that I liked above all others—the complete cutest, most remarkable, most endearing, and most exceptional heroines, at least from my opinion. I decided when I first started thinking up this Negima alternate that I would include all twelve of them in the story—after all, what better place to bring in all my favorite females than a story about an all-girls class?

With two exceptions, all twelve are in this class, but this decision gave me a bit of a conundrum—Nodoka Miyazaki is in my list, which is why she is one of the few original Negima students who remains. I am very fond of her, in case you haven't noticed. Well, although there is a pretty wide variety of character traits in those twelve girls, I ran into a problem, because Kazumi Yoshida of Shakugan no Shana is also on this list, but in many ways she was a copy of Nodoka, or, rather, a character from the same archetype. She is a shy but intelligent and dedicated young woman who falls for the protagonist after he saves her, and shyly attempts to win his affection with a little help (and pushing) from her friends. If I were completely replacing all Negima characters, Kazumi would have made a fine replacement. My insistence to include both left me wondering how much dividing Nodoka's parts between them would weaken both characters.

In the end, I decided to include both and come up with enough scenarios to bring them out; it's really no harder than including scenarios for all the girls, which I'm doing regardless. Kazumi has yet to join the Kain Fan Club (more on that later), but very soon he will prove to be her guardian angel, and Nodoka will have obvious competition. Kazumi is slightly braver and more forward than Nodoka overall, so the later start won't hurt her too much.

_ Like Nodoka, Kazumi has supportive school friends, although one of them was a male and eventual rival for her love, and he will not be present here. Still, with her around, Matake Ogata, 'Oga-chan', perhaps her best friend in Shakugan no Shana, makes a fine addition to help and support her. Ogata's primary character trait in that show was her childhood friendship with the big guy Eita Tanaka, and their nervousness as their friendship had developed into a (semi-)secret romance. That, obviously, won't take big stage here, although, especially in order to keep her from being yet another female added to the swarm fawning over Kain, I'll probably keep it to a degree. Tanaka is in the boys' middle school at Mahora, and some of the gender-interactive moments, like the festivals, will show the two meeting up. Otherwise, she will not be a prominent character.

_ I've also included what was probably her best friend, Yukari Hirai. This is not 'Shana-chan', who took Yukari's place after her existence was consumed. This is the original Yukari Hirai, who, we can tell from Kazumi's references to her and references about her, was her good friend, perhaps best friend, before she was replaced. We barely saw her, but she was shown to be a spunky, pleasant, romantic, and happy girl, into music, and seemingly rather reliable. She will be a minor character for a while, but eventually she will become important. Will she join _the Kain Fan Club? We shall see….

Now, with the Great Library Adventure concluded, this story will start shifting from a magical comedy to a comedic magical action story. Kain has shown flashes of brilliance and ability, but now we're about to see…well, first, just what kind of terrifying things exist in the magical world. And, as Kain rises to face these challenges, just how amazing he really is….


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Seven: Demon-Touched, Part I: The Vampire of Sakura Lane

"And so," Kain concluded, "thanks to your efforts last year, I have been able to become your official homeroom and English teacher for this trimester, and perhaps longer. Let's work hard together!"

The class cheered as Kain bowed, with the few usual exceptions. Rei, Yuki, and Miyu were as expressionless as always. The little child Alyssa seemed bored from her spot in the corner. Yue was exasperated, as always, with her high-strung class, but even she had to admit she was pleased with this development, and she smiled just slightly to herself.

And, in the middle of the back, seated next to Yue, Chisame Hasegawa ground her teeth in frustration. This is ridiculous, she thought. What is wrong with this class? What is wrong with this school? As if the robot girls (Rei, Yuki, and Miyu) weren't enough, as if the supergirls (Hinagiku, Erika and Sakura) weren't enough, as if the beasts with ridiculous specs (many other girls) weren't enough, now we have a 'child genius' teacher! A boy our age! And he's staying in the girls' dorm! This is absolutely insane! It was bad enough when he came in to finish out our second year, but now we'll be stuck with him for at least another four months?! What did I do to deserve all this?

Kanade raised her hand. "Sensei!" she declared. "You know, it's pretty unusual, you know, for this class to have a teenage boy as its teacher, don't you think?"

Ah, that's right! Chisame thought happily, cheering up a little. That's our dorm supervisor for you! I thought you were one of the crazy ones, but it seems you have some sense after all! Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to put you in charge of that….

"So, anyway, we ought to have a class party to celebrate our new year together!"

Chisame nearly fell out of her chair. What?! What the heck is that? What does one of those have to do with the other? This entire class is insane, absolutely insane….

Kain, still blushing with embarrassed happiness over his presence, looked around the class and noticed Chisame's unhappy expression. He didn't linger on her face, but he filed the thought away until afterwards.

The class eventually decided to celebrate the new school year and Kain's renewed teaching certificate with them by having a cherry blossom viewing party that afternoon at Sakura Lane.

Kain was looking forward to it. But before then, he had teacher's work to do….

Chisame Hasegawa. Her grades were on the lower side, although she kept her scores high enough to avoid becoming a Baka Ranger. He had watched her over the past month and a half, and she didn't seem very sociable. No clubs (besides Takamichi's note of the 'Go Home Club'—a semi-joking but common reference to those who were absolutely against the extra-curricular activities), no signs of her out and about…short of spying on her, he would never get a chance to see what she was really about, what she did with herself in her free time.

He stared at her picture in the book. She wasn't a problem student, and perhaps it was better that there was someone in the class who wasn't energetic to the brink of insanity. Still, he couldn't just leave her alone like this….

The bell rang, and Chisame hurried out of class. It was time to get away from this damn class, from these crazy girls, from this insane situation, over to her world….

"Hasegawa-san!"

She stopped and turned. She glowered as Kain came hurrying up to her. "What is it, Kain-sensei?" she demanded.

"Are you going to the class party, Hasegawa-san?" Kain inquired innocently.

Chisame made a tch sound. "Don't mistake me for one of those moon-eyed morons," she retorted. "I may have to go to class, but I have no desire to have anything to do with any of you outside of it. I try not to surround myself with weird people."

"Ah…weird people…." Kain considered. "Yeah, I guess our class is kind of weird, huh? Still, they're not that bad."

What? Chisame thought as she started walking away more quickly. Don't sound like it has nothing to do with you. You're the weirdest one of them all.

Kain speed-walked to catch up to her. "Please join us, Hasegawa-san. It's embarrassing to me, too, but the class thinks this is very important, and it's important to spend time with your peers outside of class sometimes! How bad could it be?"

"I told you, I want nothing to do with you!" And she started away even faster.

Damn kid, she thought furiously. Don't go trying to transfer the regrets from your unusual childhood to me. Spend time with your peers? Ha! You've never had any, have you? Child genius graduating college when you're barely a teenager? You missed it for your reasons, so don't try to keep me from missing it for mine!

She burst into her room, located not in the dorms but in one of the 'apartments' on the outskirts of Mahora Academy, its door on the outside of the building, and one she had all to herself. Most girls preferred the dorms and their proximity to classes and the rest, but Chisame had always needed her privacy. She had worked very hard to obtain this apartment.

"That damn kid!" she said aloud as she hurriedly began to change. "Well, fine, whatever, he can think what he likes. I'm not going to let him, or that class, interfere with my life. I don't need any of them. I've got all the life I need right here!"

Why did Chisame feel the need to monologue about her life while she was alone in her apartment? We don't know, but since she knows so much more about it, we'll let her explain her e-Life:

"On the web I don't have any domineering crazy teachers or insane girls dragging me along on their stupid crusades! No! Here, I'm in charge! As Chiu-chan, I am the number one net idol!"

She had changed into a dress that could be described as foofy, large and lacey and generally worn by mythical shepherd girls (as opposed to real ones, who wouldn't be caught dead trying to take care of animals in a tent). With her glasses off, she used the camera attached to her computer to take pictures.

"I capture myself in all my cosplaying glory! Then, using digital alteration, I perfect the image (getting rid of all my pimples and stuff, right)! And now, I upload it onto Chiu-chan's homepage!"

She did all as she said, and then went into the chat area of her blog. 'Hello all, Chui-chan here!'

A host of replies started popping up in chat welcoming the great idol.

'Eh, I just started a new year of school, but it really sucks. My teacher is such a hentai!'

And several outraged responses told her that this new sensei was the worst, and should receive divine punishment.

"Oh, is this one of those blog things? Did you make this yourself, Hasegawa-san?"

Chisame nearly fell out of her chair. "W-w-w-w-what are you doing here?!" she screeched at Kain as he peered at the screen.

Whether by instinct or accident, she had moved the page to the pictures from off the chat, and Kain didn't show any sign that he had fully read or understood the chat lines. "Sorry, the door was open," he apologized. "Forgive me for entering, but I knocked and called out to avoid intrusion, but no one responded. I came to try and convince you once more to join us at the party today."

Chisame stood there, frozen, trembling. This…brat! He just walked in? I wouldn't have thought him capable of it! And now, he's seen everything! My secret life revealed! My life ruined! No…I have to silence him somehow….

Kain turned his attention back to the screen. "Wow, these are amazing pictures, Hasegawa-san! If you forgive me for saying so, you look quite pretty here! You look very beautiful without your glasses."

I-idiot, that's only because I digitally enhanced all those….

"You really did design this all yourself, didn't you? I'd heard you were pretty good with computers, but I had no idea you were this amazing!"

This praise set off Chisame's pride. "A-ah, well, I do know a bit," she said. "This really isn't that impressive."

"I must admit, I don't know a whole lot about it," Kain offered. "I've never done a whole lot with computers…I'm not, how do you put it, 'wired in', or something like that? I have no idea how any of this gets done."

As Chisame tried to recover from Kain's buttering, he suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Eh?" she managed.

"Let's go, Hasegawa-san!"

She wailed as he dragged her from the room, down the steps, and across the field towards Sakura Lane. Mysteriously, the door slammed shut behind them.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Chisame demanded angrily, impotently trying to escape Kain's iron grip.

"You can't just live in that world, Hasegawa-san," Kain replied. "You have to live in the real world sometimes! You don't have to stay for long, but at least pay your respects to the class at a moment like this, okay?"

"No! Wait! I-I can't like this, I don't even have my glasses, I can't…!"

The class looked over and stared in surprise as Kain dragged Chisame into the party.

Sakura Lane was a street on the academy grounds named because it was lined with cherry blossom trees. It ran between several of the dorm buildings and, at this time of year, was a beautiful place with the pink blossoms filling the lane.

The girls had already changed themselves into outfits for the party, some practical, others beautiful traditional Japanese kimono. They had set out a few blankets and bentô, and were preparing the drinks. They were amazed by Kain and his companion.

"Is this Kain's girlfriend?" one whispered.

"Who is that? She's really pretty…."

Mai was staring hard at the girl she could almost recognize. "Wait…is that you, Hasegawa-san?"

Her worst fears were realized. She had been recognized.

And the various commentary changed gears quickly.

"Oh, Hasegawa-san! Wow, that's an amazing dress! Where'd you get it?"

"You actually came, Hasegawa-san!"

"Was this supposed to be a cosplay party? No one told me!"

"There, there," Sakura murmured in a soft voice that somehow cut through the babble. "Come sit, Hasegawa-chan. Have some tea. It's wonderful you decided to join us for this…ah, and have some of these cookies, they're wonderful. It isn't so bad to be here for a scene like this, is there?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Chisame took a seat on the blanket with Sakura and took the proffered cup and treats. "I suppose, with a name like Sakura, you would love this, wouldn't you?"

Sakura smiled. "I was, in fact, named Sakura because I was born during this season. I do love my namesakes. They are a wonderful symbol of Japanese culture and history."

She drew Chisame in and chatted amiably with her, and soon the party's attentions turned to various other distractions.

I'm not sure which is more amazing, Mai thought. Kain-sensei for getting Hasegawa-san here, and in that getup, or Sanada-san for welcoming her and putting her at ease so quickly.

Chisame, meanwhile, was eventually thinking, Well, it could be worse. It seems this class is so crazy they can barely pay attention to me for more than a minute. I'll escape this alive. I'll forgive Kain-sensei this time…but he's never getting me out to anything like this again.

AND I'm making sure I shut and lock my door immediately after I get home from now on.

Chisame stayed about a half hour before excusing herself. The class had a replacement for her, however, since Kanade had dragged her little sister Haruna over to participate. To Kain's relief, despite threats and suggestions from the likes of Kanade, Riza, and Miki, no sake surfaced at the party.

Kain would almost forget this happy time from the events that would come later, but it was an excellent way to start the year.

That night, Kaoru was making her way back to the dorm after spending some time running to condition herself for the coming year.

She'd been slacking in her runs over the past few weeks because of the excitement from the end of the school year until now. She wouldn't make it to the top of the track club if she didn't keep up her work ethic….

There were often scary stories told about Sakura Lane, but Kaoru could hardly think of such things when she considered how much fun that party had been. Things had become so amusing, so interesting since Kain-sensei had shown up….

She stopped when she thought she heard a strange sound from the bushes to the side. She peered around carefully. Then a shadow suddenly filled her vision.

Kain took role call and was surprised by the absences. "Konoe-san, Jinnai-san, and Yûki-san? That's odd…why are all three of them missing?"

Erika raised her hand. "I think I saw Jinnai-san and Kanade-chan taking Kaoru to the infirmary early this morning. They're probably still there."

"Eh? What happened?"

"I'm not sure…."

"Ah, it was probably the monster of Sakura Lane," Riza offered.

"Monster?" Kain sighed. "C'mon now…."

"No, it's true!" Miki insisted. "It's one of the seven mysteries of Mahora Academy. Sakura Lane is the main street by several of the girls' dorms, but at night, most students avoid using it, because of the legend."

"They say it's a vampire that likes the blood of young girls," Izumi added in her usual cheery voice. "It waits for them to come and then…."

"Kain-sensei's right," Hinagiku cut in. "There's no need to go telling ghost stories at a time like this. Vampires indeed!"

"Well," Momo ventured, "vampires or not, it is true that Kaoru was out late last night running, trying to get in shape for the track club. I believe someone found her collapsed in front of the dorm room this morning."

"That's right!" Riza insisted. "It was the vampire! Awakened by the cheery nature of our party in its home yesterday during the day, it waited at night for a victim to exact its vengeance upon…."

"Is this a vampire, now, or a vengeful spirit?" Sakura asked dryly.

Kain tried to calm the class down, but he wondered. And Erika, too, had a far more concerned look on her face than the others….

Kanade and Nanami, Kaoru's roommates, returned to the room before Kain's class had concluded. They could offer no news of Kaoru's condition, other than that she was weak but conscious.

After Kain's class was out, he went to visit her in the infirmary.

"Oh, Kain-sensei! H-how are you?"

"Better than you, I would assume. How are you feeling?"

"Ah, better. I should be able to return to class this afternoon, the nurse says."

"Ah, I see. That's good news. Do you…remember what happened last night? Did something attack you?"

"Something…attack me?" Kaoru stared, then began to laugh. "Oh, no, nothing like that! Well, I can't quite remember what happened, but I'm pretty sure I don't remember being attacked by anything. I just passed out. I've been slacking off on my running recently, and I probably just pushed myself too hard yesterday when I took it up again. That's all."

"Oh, I see. Well, that's good."

Kain smiled and chatted amiably with the girl, but he had noticed the two almost imperceptible marks on the bottom of her neck.

Naturally, 'vampire' is the first thing people think of when seeing puncture marks on someone's neck. It's a horror motif, a veritable cliché. Also, as far as he knew, a true one, although he hadn't put a lot study into vampires. His studies had taught him their origin, but not their habits and natures.

However, the marks on Kaoru's neck couldn't have come from a humanoid vampire. The puncture marks were too small, for one thing, unless the supposed vampire's fangs automatically and efficiently healed the wounds they made when they were withdrawn. Kanade and Nanami hadn't even noticed them; they were both energetic and outspoken, and would have fed the vampire rumors and paranoia (and almost gleefully, too) if they had. Also, they seemed to be too far apart. There is roughly an inch between the upper incisors of an average human jaw—the generally classic placement of 'vampire' teeth—but the marks on Kaoru's neck were nearly double that in distance.

Still, while he doubted that a real vampire was preying on his students, he was certain that something was. He could probably inform Meia or the principal and let them decide on a course of action, but he decided against it. If they didn't come to him first, that meant one of two things:

They were not as aware of everything (possibly magic-related) going on at school as he thought; or

They were aware, but were not interfering with his students.

In either case, it would fall to him to take care of it. In the first case, they respected him enough to let him handle matters dealing with his students and therefore paid no heed to them. In the second case, they were watching to see how he would handle matters in order to protect his students. In both cases, they would expect him to act as a proper teacher, or at least a proper magic-equipped teacher, and work to protect his students.

So he decided to take matters into his own hands and keep a watch out for this so-called vampire….

Mai was just returning from her part-time job when Kain went striding out, down the hallway to the side entrance to the building instead of the front. Kagome glanced out after him as well as Mai stood there with their dorm door open. "Where's he off to?" she wondered aloud.

It was late and dark, but not quite curfew time. After all, because of the many clubs, allowance for part-time jobs, special assignments, and other conditions inherent in this school, the curfew was later than most private middle and high schools. And because of these various activities, it is not always possible to know why some girls might be out so late, and why some might be splitting directions and going somewhere else while one of the group returns to dorm. So, in this case, we won't try.

"Sorry you can't join us, Kazumi," Matake told her friend. "Maybe next time." She glanced over at the dorm building, still some distance away. "Maybe we should walk you back first?"

"Eh? No, I'll be fine," Kazumi assured her.

"I don't know, Kazumi," Yukari said slowly. "There might be that 'vampire' out and about. Better safe than sorry?"

"N-no, it's already late. I'll be fine. Just go on, and I'll see you tonight."

"If you're sure. Take care, Kazumi!"

Kazumi waved after them, and then turned her face towards the dreaded street. It did seem far darker and more ominous than it had yesterday when they were enjoying the cherry blossoms….

"I'm not scared. There's nothing here. I'm not scared," she repeated to herself, and started her walk.

She was halfway up the lane when one of the lights flickered, and then she noticed that her shadow was much bigger than it should have been. She turned around to stare at the massive creature looming up over her.

She screamed.

The thing was something like a black manta ray, with a large head adorned by two huge bug-eyes. A long tongue, serpentine and two inches thick, darted out of its mouth. It lunged at Kazumi. She managed a lucky dive out of the way and rolled, scrambled to her feet, and started off running. It reached out with a small claw it had kept folded up inside its body and grabbed her shoulder; again, luck was with Kazumi and she tore out of its grasp, only losing part of her shirt as the fabric ripped. It was a significant part, exposing the entirety of her arm and part of her chest, but it was better than a piece of her.

Finally the monster seemed to grow tired of chasing her and leapt full into the air to bring its entire frame on top of her. She glanced back, tripped, fell, and screamed again as the tongue came snaking out to get her….

There was a flash and a rush of wind, and all of a sudden Kain was cradling Kazumi in one arm a short distance away. A long, straight sword was in his other hand, now dripping with a small amount of purple ichor. The 'tongue' of the creature flopped onto the ground a few feet away.

Kazumi stared up at her savior, her mind numbly trying to make sense of this impossible scene. "Kain…sensei?" she murmured.

The monster screamed in pain and anguish, thrashed for a minute, and took off.

Kain managed to reach his hand up to Kazumi's face and brushed a couple fingers across her eyes. They closed, and she fell limp in his grasp. Before he could do any more, however, he heard running feet and a pair of gasps.

"Kain-sensei!" Mai breathed. "Is that…Kazumi-chan? What's going on here? What are you doing?"

"W-what was that thing?" Kagome added; she had managed to spot the retreating figure and focused on it rather than the hunched figures.

Their arrival was a complication, but still, they could be useful. He stood quickly and manhandled Kazumi into their grasp with his off-hand. "Take care of Yoshida-san!" he ordered gruffly. He regretted his roughness, both in word and deed, but there was no time for care if he wanted to find out who was behind this and stop them before it went any farther.

Shocked and confused, the two instinctively grabbed the girl when she was shoved their way and watched Kain bound off after the disappeared shadow. "Wait! Kain-sensei!" Mai called after him, but futilely.

The creature half-skipped, half flew as it retreated, finally bounding up to the top of one of the academy buildings. Kain arrived on top just in time to see it hunch itself around a small shadow. The shadow extended slightly, a humanoid shape proffering a hand, and the thing seemed to melt away into nothing. "Oh, dear, discovered already?" a familiar voice said sweetly.

Kain stared as Alyssa Searrs stepped out of the shadow and into the moonlight. "Er…Miss Searrs?" he managed. "You…you're behind that thing? That's impossible…."

"As a mage, dear Kain-sensei, you should know that very little is 'impossible'," she replied. She raised a hand again. "I had hoped to gather quite a bit more blood, quite a bit more power, before confronting you, but since you've found me, I guess I'll have to risk an attempt."

A bolt of black energy flashed from her hand, but Kain swatted it aside with his sword. Alyssa smirked. "Hmm, I thought so. Nice blade. How about this?" A cascade of black bolts poured out from her palm.

Kain reverse-gripped his sword and plunged it into the roof at his feet. The bolts all raced by him without connecting. Then he pulled it back out, flipped his grip back, and gestured with his left hand. The roof around Alyssa rose up to capture her, but she danced backward out of its grip. Then he threw his hand into the air, and a small whirlwind suddenly surrounded her, making a pillar of nearly visible air that entrapped her.

"Very nice," Alyssa murmured, studying it. "You cast spells quite well, without a word, a gesture, or a director or catalyst. As expected of that man's son. Yes, it seems I just can't take you right now, even with the full moon out." She reached into a pocket and pulled out a shining red stone. She then dropped it at her feet and it exploded in flame. Kain flinched back, straining to see through the fire, and just caught a glimpse of Alyssa dropping over the edge of the roof. The flame vanished, and he hurried after her.

"Wait!" he cried, but, naturally, she paid him no heed. He fired off a few weak bolts of magic energy after her, but she avoided them easily. He started to pursue. She moved quickly, but not with superhuman speed, and her small child's frame was not able to outdistance him. He was slowly gaining on her.

Suddenly she stopped on a small hill in the forested 'yard' of the academy, an area away from most of the buildings that students often resorted to for lunch breaks. What's her game? Kain thought as he approached, as the girl turned to face him. Perhaps she knows she can't run, but if that was her best, she can't beat me with magic, either….

Because he was wary, he caught sight of the second opponent coming sweeping down at him and dived aside to avoid the blade that was aimed at removing his arm. He rolled and came to his feet…and stared at the figure of Miyu standing protectively in front of little Alyssa.

"Er…Miyu-san?" Kain ventured. He stared at her right arm, which was currently a long blade instead of a normal hand. Yukari and Matake had babbled to Kain after their return from the library's dungeon that Miyu was a robot, but he hadn't really paid much attention, as tired as he was. Now he was seeing the truth first hand. So was that why the note said to call engineering for assistance if something happened to her…?

"But what's the meaning of this?" Kain demanded. "Why are you attacking my students, your fellow classmates? Who are you?"

Alyssa smiled. "Why, Kain-sensei! So many questions? And I thought you had all the answers."

Kain grimaced and pulled his staff out of his cloak. With staff raised in his left hand, he pointed at the pair with the sword in his right. "Whatever you're up to, I can't let you get away with it. Surrender now and explain yourselves to me, and perhaps we can work something out together without involving the principal."

"What a bold statement!" Alyssa mocked him. "Let's see if that's still your attitude after Miyu has dealt with you. Remember, Miyu…you can't kill him yet. I need him alive, at least until I get all his blood."

"Of course, Alyssa-sama." Miyu came darting in.

Kain's eyes bulged at her speed. He added another level to the battle spell enhancing his own speed and strength just to avoid her blade as it came sweeping in. He blocked a second strike, but the force of it made his hand go numb. A robot indeed…her speed was incredible, as was her strength. He'd already be done if he hadn't put so much into his enhancement spells. He couldn't find much of an opening to counterattack….

Calm down, calm down…watch the pattern, just as he'd been taught. Feel the rhythm of the opponent. Now that he was engaged with her, he could see some of her robotic traits, and while things like her lack of breath reduced the number of traits he could read to learn her moves, she still had patterns….

He knocked aside her sword arm with his staff and quickly gathered the mana around him into a single cube of energy. Using his sword hand to direct it, he immediately brought it to bear on Miyu….

And then he watched in shock and horror as her sword came back around and literally cut through the magic. No, it did more than that; it didn't simply disperse the spell the way he had blocked Alyssa's bolt earlier with his own sword. The blade swept through the magic and seemed to absorb it, or, more accurately, nullified it completely, causing a brief vacuum in the mana field, leaving no trace that a spell had ever been. The sword was a natural field of anti-magic. Just what was she?

She lashed out with a kick that sent Kain flying. He slammed into a tree and collapsed, the breath knocked out of him. As Miyu came diving in for the kill, however, another figure flashed in front of her. Kain stared up at this new arrival that, even from the back, he recognized…that mane of flowing blond hair belonged to none other than the student body vice-president, Erika Sendô.

"Sendô-san?" he murmured, staring in awe at the girl. She had blocked Miyu's sword with her bare arm. Or, almost her bare arm; there was a kind of nimbus surrounding her hand in the shape of a blade. Whatever that anti-magic field Miyu's sword generated was, it didn't seem to affect whatever magic Erika was using.

"Are you all right, Kain-sensei?" Erika demanded.

"If you interfere, Sendô-fukukaichô, you should worry more about yourself!" Miyu breathed, and pushed.

To Kain's amazement, Erika resisted Miyu's pressure and even pushed back, throwing her off. She followed her to press her attack, and the two clashed repeatedly as they danced around the trees. Kain rose slowly as he watched the fight, mesmerized. He caught a glimpse of Erika's face in the mêlée, and noticed that her usually beautiful blue eyes were now blood-red….

"They are amazing, aren't they?" Alyssa asked sweetly from right next to him. "But don't forget, I'm here, too."

Kain leapt backward to avoid the cage of black energy that sought to engulf him. He rounded on her and assumed his guard. "Okay, putting aside that Miyu-san is a robot…what's with you, Alyssa? Who or what are you, and why are you so bent on getting blood?"

"Well, the girls' blood is simply to help nourish my power so I can take you on," she replied easily. "Do you really want to know? I need your blood to undo the curse your father placed on me to seal me here."

"Curse? My father…? What are you talking about?"

"Alyssa Searrs is just my human alias. My real identity, however, is Alysaser, the demon princess. Your father, Kalan Lockeheart, fought and defeated me, and sealed me to this school, forcing me to pass the years as a middle school student. It's been quite humiliating and terrible, going through this again and again, for fifteen years. But now that you're here, I can use your blood to undo the spell, since you carry his blood in your veins. At last, I'll be free of this terrible hell…."

Kain stared in shock. Alysaser? He'd made a good study of demons and had heard about the disruptive Infernal that had once made mortal men tremble. Hundreds of years ago it had terrorized the mages of Europe, stealing away great mages and sowing chaos. It was called the Herdsman for the multitude of lesser demons it summoned to do its dirty work, and, in honor of the guise it used to tempt and seduce mages that caught its eye, it was also called the 'Golden Angel'. That terrible demon that had vanished over a hundred years ago had a history with his father…and was now cursed to be part of his middle school class in the guise of a ten-year-old girl? And had a robotic servant to boot? What kind of madman could write such a scenario?

Kain gripped his sword tightly. "I know I asked, but you're suddenly being very talkative with all this information."

"Aren't I? Just returning the favor of your teaching, oh wise Sensei. Would you like to know more? For instance, Miyu is a MagiTech construct, as you can see—a novel invention of dear Caria, and she was nice enough to give her to me as a servant when I asked. She has magic built into her, powering her, and it allows her to perform some magical feats. Her sword, for instance, is, as you've seen, an anti-magic weapon.

"But, as you can see, it's not affecting dear Erika-chan's magic blade. That's because it's designed to work against more normal magic, wizard's magic, but Erika-chan is using the magic inherent to her race."

"Vampire," Kain replied flatly. Yes, the red eyes were a giveaway to him because of what he had studied about them. It explained what Erika was doing here—if she was a real vampire, then rumors of vampires who were her attacking her fellow students could threaten her. He had many thoughts about her vampire status, but they weren't important at the moment.

"Ah, as expected of Kain-sensei…quite sharp. But don't worry…Miyu is programmed to be adaptable, and soon she'll be able to alter her field to deal with Erika-chan, too."

Miyu at that point managed to slash her blade across Erika's left shoulder, causing a spray of blood to fountain from the wound.

"Now, have you figured out why I'm engaging you with this monologue, Kain-sensei? Usually, villains are induced into monologuing by the hero to create time for him to escape, for reinforcements to arrive, or for his plan to come to fruition. But in this case, you don't need time. There're no reinforcements coming, and we've already seen that your magic power is greater than mine in my current sealed, cursed form, so you can probably defeat me at any moment. In other words, extra time favors me, not you. The extra time gives Miyu a chance to adjust herself to Erika's vampire magic so she can disperse her blade and defeat her…and it gives me time to spread out what little magic I have into a spell to bind you."

Indeed, Kain had been paralyzed since the start of the previous paragraph. He struggled futilely to free himself from the binding spell she had placed on him. "And now," Alyssa continued, "I'll be taking your blood." A large bowl appeared in one hand, and a knife in the other. "How would you like to go?" she asked conversationally. "If I cut from the wrist, it'll be more painful, but I might get enough blood before you die. If I cut a vein in the neck, you'll bleed out quickly, of course, and won't suffer nearly as much…."

There was the sound of running footsteps, and Mai came charging into view. Her shocked visage went back and forth from Kain and Alyssa standing there to Miyu and Erika battling it out in the background. "W…wha…what the heck is going on here?!" she finally managed.

"Ah, Tokiha-san," Alyssa greeted her. "This doesn't concern you. You should probably leave, before you see something you won't like." She turned her attention back to Kain.

Mai made a decision quickly, and came charging in at them. Alyssa turned back to her with a scowl and gestured; even paralyzed, Kain could see the magical field spring up to surround her in response to her silent will.

Oblivious to the shield, Mai charged in…and backhanded the tools out of Alyssa's hands. She failed to notice the objects vanish before they hit the ground, the same as she failed to notice the shield that she slapped through as if it really wasn't there. Alyssa only had time and presence of mind to widen her eyes in shock as Mai's hand came swinging back to slap her smartly across the cheek. Alyssa staggered back from a combination of the force of the blow and her shock.

"Alyssa-sama!" Miyu cried, and shoved Erika back so she could disengage and race to Alyssa's side. She stood in front of her protectively, causing Mai to step back from the sight of her blade.

Alyssa, holding her smarting cheek, stared at Mai. "What are you?" she hissed. "How did you do that?"

"Eh…w-what? Do what?" Mai stammered, staring at Miyu's sword.

"Alyssa-sama?" Miyu asked.

"We're retreating, Miyu!" Alyssa declared finally.

"As you wish."

She scooped up the little girl and bounded away with a great leap.

"Wait!" Erika demanded, leaping in front of Kain and Mai.

"Oh, don't worry," Alyssa assured her as she sat cradled in Miyu's left arm. She reached up to the ribbon in her hair. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to play again later, Erika-chan." She pulled the ribbon free, and suddenly her hair flared up, producing a bright light that blinded all of them. When the light faded, the two were gone.

Kain found himself able to move again and doubled over, gasping in shock and shivering.

"Kain-sensei!" the two girls cried in unison, bending down to support him.

"I-I'm all right," he managed. He smiled bitterly. "I came here to save my students, but this time the two of you saved me. Thank you."

"Er…it was nothing," Mai muttered. "Um…." She looked over at Erika and stared in shock at her bloody shoulder.

Erika was staring back at her, too, but with slightly narrowed eyes…eyes that were once again blue. "We'll talk later," she declared. "We ought to get out of here for now. I'll take us somewhere where we can talk about what just happened."

To Kain's surprise, Erika led them to the clock tower, the student council building. A small side-room off the large room Hinagiku had taken him to before was their final destination.

Along the way, Kain inquired about Kazumi.

"I left her with Kagome," Mai replied, somewhat distracted. "She took her to our room. Did you…do anything to her?"

"A quick memory-fade spell. Not like the eraser I threatened you with…it just used her own fear to put her in a peaceful sleeping state so she could start dreaming. She'll likely think most of what she saw was a dream."

That was probably for the best, Mai conceded.

As soon as the three of them made it inside, Mai suddenly assaulted Erika. "W-what are you doing, Tokiha-san?" Erika stammered as Mai forced her into a chair and starting tearing at her shirt.

Kain stared in shock for a moment before covering his eyes.

"You're hurt!" Mai grunted. "I've been staring at your bloody shoulder the entire time! The first thing we have to do is tend to the wound…." She stopped as she stared at the perfect, unmarred flesh of Erika's shoulder. "Eh? But…there's…."

"Of course there isn't," Erika replied, pulling herself away. "I've regenerated already." She took a jacket from a hook on the wall and swung it around herself to cover up her torn shirt.

"R-regenerated?" Mai turned to Kain. "Is…she like you, then? Or…."

"'Like you?'" Erika repeated. "Is that why she was there? She knows about you, Kain-sensei?"

Kain lowered his hands to look at Erika in surprise, then smiled slightly. "So…I take it you know about me, too. I had wondered how much the founding families of Mahora were involved in the magic society."

"Ah, yes, quite a bit…I'm part of the academy's Magic Council." She turned to Mai. "I suppose Kain-sensei has his reasons for letting you know, Tokiha-san. How much do you know about the magical world?"

"Eh? Er…not a whole lot, really. I just saw Kain-sensei use magic to save someone, and he asked me to keep it a secret."

Erika stared. "You…saw him use magic? When?"

"The first day he arrived…."

Erika sighed and put her head in her hand. "Kain-sensei, you've got to be more careful than that…you can't go showing everyone your magic like that…."

"Eh…yeah…I know…."

"But never mind me," Mai interrupted. "What about Alyssa-chan and Miyu-san? Why on earth were you fighting them, and…and…and…what are they?"

"Er…." Erika hesitated. "Well…."

"Miyu-san is a robot, Multiple Intelligential Yggdrasil Unit," Kain informed her. "Mizuno-san and the others found her at the Robotics Development Society undergoing a checkup while we were underneath the library. That was when Miyu used the radio to contact us. She [Mizuno-san] told me about it, later."

Mai stared at him. "A robot? Really?"

"Technically a gynoid, or a female android, and…uh…well, it's as you see," he finished lamely, remembering his audience. "As for Alyssa…she said she was the demon Alysaser, sealed and bound to the academy by my father."

Erika looked up in surprise and Mai gasped. "A demon…but that can't be! Alyssa-chan is…well…." She drifted off and cast her eyes down. "Alyssa-chan…she's just a little girl…she's stubborn and sharp-tongued…but…her song was so sweet…."

"The Golden Angel, eh?" Erika murmured. "Yes, I remember hearing her sing as well. To think that she's a mazoku, a true demon…and Alysaser, the Herdsman, no less…."

"But what's that about your father, Kain-sensei?" Mai asked. "It sounds like he was a mage, too. I guess that's no surprise…but if Alyssa-chan is a demon, and your father sealed her here…shouldn't he have told you something about her before you came here?"

She knew from the silence that greeted her question that this was the wrong question to ask. Kain looked away. Finally Erika informed her, "Kain-sensei's father is a famous, powerful mage. He helped save the magical world from destruction about twenty years ago. But then, fifteen years ago, he simply…disappeared. No one's heard from him since. Most in the magical world believe him to have died."

"Oh…I see. Sorry, I-I didn't know."

"It's all right." Kain turned a forced smile at her. "He's the whole reason I'm here. Despite what everyone believes, I know my father is alive. I want to find him one day. By following his path, by becoming an Archmage, I know I will one day meet him."

Mai hesitated, then changed the subject again. Turning back to Erika she asked, "You never told me about you, Sendô-fukukaichô. Obviously, you're part of the…magical world…but you seem to be different than Kain. What are you?"

Erika returned Mai's stare cautiously. "Oh, Sendô-san?" Kain interrupted hurriedly. "Ah, well…see…she's actually…a special kind of…."

"I'm a vampire," Erika sighed. "It's all right, Kain-sensei, I think Mai's already seen too much for you to worry about protecting me now."

"A v-vampire?" Mai tried to keep the panic out of her voice, but it was hard. "I-I see…r-really?"

Erika walked over to the nearby refrigerator and opened it. She took a plastic pouch of dark liquid out and, after unstopping it, began to drink from it. Mai stared. "Is that…?"

"Yes, it's blood. I am a vampire, Tokiha-san. The Sendô family consists of vampires. We're immortal, our bodies regenerate almost instantly…but we do have to drink human blood. To be honest, it's rather disgusting…."

"Oh…I see." Mai's panic subsided as she watched Erika sullenly sucking away at the packet. "But…I've seen you walk around during the daytime with no problem…."

Erika actually laughed a little. "Yeah, well," she replied. "You can't believe everything you've ever heard about vampires. Most of it is a myth. Sunlight, garlic, crosses, running water…none of those things really bother us."

Mai considered this. She decided that it wouldn't be tactful to point out that, without those odd but crippling weaknesses, immortal vampires were distinctly unfair. Before she could find a reply to make, Kain added, "Vampires originated from human mages who tried to achieve immortality through forbidden magics, trying to draw on the power of demons. Some of the original vampires who soaked their souls in the darkest of magics ended up with those kinds of weaknesses, but, well, the 'normal' vampires of today are closer to human. They have a degree of immortality, powered by their dependence on human blood, but otherwise they're just like ordinary human mages."

Erika looked up in surprise. "You're well-informed, Kain-sensei."

"I…studied demons a bit back at the university, and I read about the vampires' origin while doing so."

Silence returned, and finally Mai offered, "So…now what? Alyssa-chan is going to continue to come after you, isn't she?"

"I suppose so," Kain replied. "She says she needs my blood to undo the curse my father placed on her. She'll keep after me until she gets it."

"Then…shouldn't we tell someone? Like…the principal! He's a mage, right? He must know about Alyssa-chan's real identity. Can't he do something about her?"

"Tokiha-san is right," Erika agreed. "Now that we know what Alysaser is up to, we need to let the principal and the council know. We need to take care of her before…."

"No."

The two girls stared at their teacher. He leveled a very serious stare at them. "Please, don't mention anything about this to anyone. This is a private matter."

Both girls, stouthearted and stubborn, soon hardened and glared in response. Erika spoke first. "Kain-sensei, this is crazy! You can't…."

"Please." Kain held up a forestalling hand. "You're right. What I'm doing doesn't make sense from a logical standpoint. Truth be told, after facing Alyssa and Miyu, I'm scared witless thinking about them coming after me again. But, logically, I should have gone ahead and erased Tokiha-san's memories when she saw me work magic back then. Instinct told me I shouldn't. Instinct is telling me similar things now.

"If my father has a connection to this school, if he sealed Alyssa here, then the principal almost certainly knows who she really is. Fifteen years she's been sealed here, she says…since a little before I was born. She must have been in school this entire time. The principal has to be party to resetting her records every time she 'graduates' from middle school. I could certainly use his help if needed.

"But if he knows all about her, why didn't he say anything to me? Why did he let me take this class, and keep this class? I…I don't know if I have the right to think of something like this, but I believe he wants to see what I'll do to take care of it. Maybe I could just ask the adults, the principal and the magic teachers for help…but if I do, it'll be like running away. I need to face this on my own."

The two girls stared at him, exasperation and respect mixed in their features. "Very brave of you, Kain-sensei," Mai murmured. "So, how are you going to stop her, then?"

Kain hesitated. For several seconds. Even longer. Dot dot dot. "Ah, well…I'm not sure. As I said, they kind of frighten me. As I am now, I can't stand up to both of them at once…."

"Heh, heh, heh…c'mon now, kiddo…you've got to have more confidence than that."

The three looked around the room wildly for this new voice. "That voice…" Kain murmured. "Is that…?"

"Over here." The three turned to a small table whereon sat a large white rodent…an ermine. It made a very un-rodent-like wave with one paw. "Yo, Kain! Been a while, eh?"

"Kamo!" Kain hurried over the animal, apparently excited. "It has been a while! How have you been?"

"A talking…ermine?" Mai sighed. "Why does everything keep getting weirder and weirder?"

Erika approached, blinking in confusion. "What…is this?"

"Yo, Ojô-chan!" The ermine turned to Erika. "Allow me to introduce myself. Name's Kamolai, Kamo-kun for short. I am a magical spirit, or, you could say, a magic elemental. My cute little form here is just a way for me to interact with people, y'see."

He had begun addressing Kain in English, but switched to Japanese as soon as he turned to Erika. "A magic spirit?" Erika marveled. "You mean, a denizen of the magical plane?"

"That's right! To be more specific, I'm a spirit of binding and contracts. That's my magical form, my magical power. And, more importantly, I'm Kain's good friend."

"Really?" Mai sounded unconvinced. "And how did you come to be Kain's friend?"

"It's a long story," Kain laughed. "He saved me once when I was younger."

"And it seems I arrived just in time once again. If you want to beat the demon Alysaser and her pet robot, you need my help!"

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Chisame Hasegawa, Erika Sendô, and Kanade Yûki

And so we end this chapter on a cliffhanger. The explanations have gone long, longer than the battle, but many secrets about the magic world are starting to be revealed. Now things will start to really heat up.

This chapter is the first introduction to the term 'demon' which will be important going forward. In fact, demons are common in anime, but, well, they are…Japanese demons. They are spirits with semi-mortal flesh, which may sound contradictory, but essentially they (sometimes) malicious creatures that come from ordinary living beings but are infused with semi-dark magic. They are usually referred to in Japanese as yôkai or ayakashi. However, they have no relation to other planes or worlds (usually) and aren't like the demos of western mythology. However, some anime, like Slayers, which are more based on western stories and such, feature more western demons; in the case of Slayers, their demons are based on the D&D (and similar RPG) versions of demons and devils, creatures born from worlds of darkness who are quite different from normal mortal creatures are truly seem to be evil. They usually refer to these creatures in that story as mazoku, or the Evil Race (translated in our English versions, rather sadly, as the 'Monster Race', a name which does not do them justice). Negima, however, actually seemed to have both types of demons, having yôkai or hanyô (half-yôkai, half-human) like Kôtarô, and true 'demonfolk' like the Graf Wilhelm (more on both of them later). I have been writing anime-esque stories also involving both since before I started reading Negima, and so this universe also has both—we will meet many yôkai later on and a few mazoku as well. For ease of use, since I want an English name to differentiate between these beings that sets the mazoku apart from mere 'demons', I am calling them 'Infernals', a word similar to some of the epithets for such creatures in D&D and the like.

Now, I've gone long enough using Japanese words and titles I'm familiar with. Some readers may not be fully aware of the meanings, so I'll use these notes to give a quick guide on the Japanese honorifics and titles I use.

Firstly, about 'principal' and 'headmaster': the Japanese use one word for this title, the director of a school, and it has been translated as either title in English. Traditionally, principal is the title used in America, while the English use the word headmaster. I tend to like 'headmaster' better for the kinds of schools used in this work: an academy with many different schools that are a part of it. However, in this story, I decided to refer to the head of Kain's university as 'headmaster' and the head of Mahora Academy as 'principal' to help differentiate them. Technically, perhaps the 'headmaster' should be a dean or something, but this is my magical university….

'San', of course, is a traditional, basic honorific that is usually translated as Mister, Miss, or Mrs., depending on the person. 'Sama' is the same word, really, but generally denotes more respect. 'Chan' and 'kun' are usually marks of affection; usually (but not always) chan is given to females while kun is added to males. There is more to those two than that, but they'd take too long to explain. Dono, finally, is a very respectful and mostly archaic term that is rarely used any more; usually by anime characters with samurai mannerisms and mentalities.

'Sensei' is, of course, teacher. There is no real difference between the title for teacher or professor in Japanese; or, for that matter, the title 'doctor'. All three are used as 'sensei' (although a 'true' professor, not just a college teacher but a fully graduated scientist, is called 'hakase'). Senpai and kohai are words that refer to seniors and juniors at places of employment or schools; generally, someone can use senpai to refer to an older (or higher grade) student and kohai to refer to a younger (or lower grade) student.

'Onee' is one of many words (usually variants of nee, pronounced 'nay') that mean 'older sister'. 'Imôto' refers to younger sister. They haven't come up yet, but 'onii' is big brother, and 'ototo' is younger brother.

'Kaichô' is the title for the student council or student body president. The 'chô' word refers to many types of leaders—for instance, the Soul Reaper 'captains' of Bleach are called 'taichô'…and this will become important later on as well. The 'fuku' addition essentially means 'sub-', 'vice-', or 'assistant'. So Erika, the fukukaichô, is the vice president of the girls' middle school student body.

'Ojô' refers to young ladies, and 'ojô-chan' is a traditional title given to young women (teenage girls or sometimes younger) by older people, generally meaning 'young miss' or even 'pretty miss' or 'missy' depending on how the user presents it (or himself).

_ Now, this chapter reveals Chisame Hasegawa, with a slightly adjusted (read: largely less embarrassing and fan service oriented) version of her introduction in Mahou Sensei Negima. Chisame is the third and final original Negima classmate to return. Not as cute as the others and, as you've likely seen, quite a bit of a brat. Still, I've always been fond of her. For now, she's going to be a grumpy member of the class, one not wanting to have anything to do with the other students…and especially not a magical world. But, as we will see, she finds herself drawn into it. She'll be [largely] gone for a while, but keep her in mind. Side note: like Yue, in the original Negima anime they gave her far more blue-green hair (more green for her, blue for Yue) while the manga I'm more familiar usually illustrates her, when in color, with a more orange-like hair color. I referred to her previously as having 'orange-brown' hair. As you like, imagine her.

_ More importantly, this chapter finally brings to light Erika Sendô, the fukukaichô. I noted before that there were twelve anime girls of my preference filling importance parts of this story. Erika would probably be number thirteen. She comes from the universe of Fortune Arterial, which began as an eroge—one of Japan's so-called 'dating sim' games—but also spawned a manga and an anime series, Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku. In that series, she is, indeed, a vampire, and a member of a vampire family. She shares many traits with Hinagiku—strong, kind, caring about her charges, but a bit proud and hot-tempered. That is one reason I kept the vampire portion of her character. The other reason is that her background makes a good tie-in to the magic of Mahora Academy. We'll see how her background plays out later.

Erika is the fukukaichô in Fortune Arterial, although in her case, her older brother is the president—a charismatic but irresponsible man who makes life difficult for her. When they work together, Hinagiku and Erika are an unstoppable combination. Erika has no real prior in Mahou Sensei Negima—she's installed into the series as a unique character.

Erika, as a vampire in Fortune Arterial, has extreme strength, regenerative ability, and convenient memory-erasing powers. Now that she's been put into a truly magical world, I've expanded her power base a bit, but otherwise kept her the same—including the vampire traits inherent to that series. While they are not quite as fantastic as 'traditional' vampires, they are easier to integrate, and, working with the magical world, make an interesting difference—the true 'dread mages' who originally attempted the dark arts to gain immortality spawned most of the legends of vampires.

Erika will remain a stalwart part of the team for a long time….

_ Meanwhile, her Fortune Arterial comrade, Kanade Yûki, has made a few splashes so far, but won't prove ultimately significant. She and her sister, Haruna, have tie-ins to Erika (Haruna is on the left, Kanade the right). In fact, Haruna is supposed to be the age of Erika and the series' protagonist. However, Haruna, a sweet, 'perfect wife' kind of female character (Kanade calls her 'waifu', Japanese version of the English word 'wife', naturally), would be rather redundant in this class. Kanade, on the other hand, works well with the Baka Trio to add the insane energy natural to the comedy moments of Kain's class. So with ages slightly adjusted (of course, most characters are a few years younger than normal—many were originally introduced to us as high schoolers), I've included them both as side characters.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Eight: Demon-Touched, Part II: Of Disciples and Contracts

"You can help?" Mai asked in disbelief. "Forgive me for my lack of faith in a talking rodent…."

"Ermine, ojô-chan, just as you said before. And as I said, I'm not really a cute harmless animal. Don't get caught up in appearances, especially where magic is concerned. Although, to be specific, together we can help Kain out—help grant him total victory." He seemed like an ordinary ermine, but his speech, gestures, and, now, smug expression warred with her sense of reality.

"Okay then," Kain interrupted, "what are you talking about, Kamo?"

"Well, it's like this, Kiddo. I was watching the fight. From what I saw, you've definitely done your homework and trained yourself pretty hard. Magic and fighting-wise, you're definitely a match for that little Alyssa one-on-one. It's a much tougher proposition, but with some training and strategizing, you could probably take out the robo-girl with your combination of fighting skill and magic. But alone, against both of 'em? Kiddo, you haven't got a snowball's chance in hell."

"So…what do you suggest?"

"Well, obviously, you need a partner or two. Someone to even the odds."

Kamo had told Mai exactly where he was going with this already. "You're not saying I should use my students in this battle, are you, Kamo?"

"Of course I am. I won't mince words. After all, if they hadn't shown up, you wouldn't be here getting this advice now, would you?"

Kain reddened and started to stammer a retort, but Erika cut in, "He has a point, Kain-sensei. Well, Tokiha-san aside, I have as much responsibility to help you, since, as Student Council Vice-President, the students are also charges under my care."

"Using that logic, we ought to go get Hinagiku_-san to help us as well," Kain put in dryly.

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," Kamo said. "The more, the merrier, as they say."

All three of them stared at the magical ermine for a moment. Then Erika said, "That logic aside, my family is part of Mahora's Magic Council. I have plenty of reasons to be concerned about this. If you insist we not tell the principal or the rest of the council, I'll agree with you, Kain-sensei, but you won't be getting rid of me."

"Me, either, for that matter," Mai muttered. "Okay…I know I shouldn't even be here, shouldn't know about magic, and I really don't belong here…but…I can't just turn a blind eye to what I've seen. To think that people like that are in my class…I'm not sure I even know how to act around them any more. I'm certainly not going to sit back and watch them hurt my friends."

"Well said, Ojô-chan," Kamo applauded. "You both sound quite determined. Will you refuse their help, Kiddo?"

Kain hesitated. He felt he really should, that he should try to handle this all on his own, but the responsible part of him was insisting that he was already being reckless to the point of stupidity in choosing not to seek help from his elders in the school. "I guess not," he sighed. "I really don't have any right to refuse them, especially if they're already going along with my selfishness this far."

"Right," Kamo agreed. "Well then…Mai-chan, is it? How would you like to make a contract with Kain and become his disciple?"

"Eh? Disciple?" Mai wasn't very familiar with the word, and wasn't sure she liked the sound of it.

"Are you talking about a mage-guardian contract, Kamo-kun?" Erika asked.

"That's right! As a member of Mahora's Magic Council, you sure know your stuff, Erika-chan. Like I said, I'm a magical spirit of binding and contracts. That's my specialty."

"So what's this contract thing about?" Mai demanded.

"Well, mages don't fight like ordinary people," Kain began.

"Really? You don't say?"

"What I mean is, mages…well, mages aren't really known for going to war with big armies. If they did, there'd be no magic secret, and a lot less of the world to care about it. But that's neither here nor there. Mages who train to fight can inflict massive damage all by themselves. However, they still can't deal with every problem on their own. They form partnerships, usually with mages who specialize in different types of magic or warriors who can do what they can't. Mages who exterminate monsters or demons, who go adventuring and treasure hunting, usually travel like that. At the very least, a mage will have a familiar or elemental companion that can help them. Contracts, though…well, mages can boost power by signing contracts with magical forces. I'm not too familiar with contracts between humans…."

"It's hard to do properly," Erika explained. "Kain's right…usually a contract is formed between a human and a greater power, either Infernal, Elemental or Celestial. The human's essence can provide a center to the power, and the other party provides power to the human. In a way, many spells are small contracts on their own, drawing on the power of other planes. However, it is possible for two humans to share such a contract. It's a tradition for Archmages to have disciples—Archmages have a cause, a quest, a reason for their existence that drives them to reach the highest levels of magic, and their disciples are their loyal friends and followers who are devoted to using their skills on their behalf, furthering that cause. In ancient times, it was common for Archmages overflowing with power to form contracts with those disciples. The art has largely been lost, now…one of the reasons Kalan Lockeheart, Kain's father, was considered such a great Archmage was that he supposedly had renewed the ancient contracts with his companions."

"Heh, that's right, and I can assure you it's no rumor, Erika-chan." Kamo looked smug again. "I'm responsible for it."

He stopped when he saw Kain's open-mouthed stare and stuttering attempts to speak. "Y-y-you mean you knew my father, Kamo? You never said anything like that to me!"

"Ah, did I forget to mention that?" Kamo said innocently. "Well, Kiddo, it wasn't the time then. Yeah, I traveled with your pops a bit and helped him out some. I'll tell you a bit about it sometime. Now's not the time…now the issue is your little adventure.

"Magic contracts between humans usually need an anchor because even mages don't have enough magical power to share it freely with their disciples. And that's where I come in. I serve as the anchor, link the two who make a contract through me with the magical plane, and voilà! Instant power-up. The mage and his disciple can boost their power directly from the magical plane, communicate freely, transport one to the other's location, and, because it's me, the disciple is even granted an artifact through the contract." He turned his attention more fully to Mai. "If you really want to get involved in the affairs of the magic realm, Mai-chan, you can't pass this offer up. With this boost, Kain can depend on you. Without it, well, you shouldn't stick your neck out."

"Is that so…well…should I…?" Mai turned imploringly to Erika and Kain.

Kain shrugged. "I…certainly don't want to pressure you to help out. I can tell you're the type who'd prefer not to be involved in anything strange. Maybe you're already in too far…and that makes me feel guilty enough as it is. It's your decision."

"Kain-sensei's right," Erika agreed, "and it's a serious decision, too. You could say…well, if you make that kind of contract, it wouldn't be just to help out against Alysaser…there'd be no going back at that point. I don't want to say you could never go back to a normal life, but…it would be that much harder. Far harder than walking away right now."

Mai hesitated. "What about Sendô-san? Why couldn't she make a contract with Kain-sensei? Are you targeting me, Kamo-kun, just because I'm normal and don't already have my own magic…?"

"Well…that's not entirely right," Erika sighed. "I…can't make that kind of contract with Kain-sensei."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a vampire. I…hate that part of me, but I have to feed on human blood to survive. And that need for blood is…stronger than just hunger or thirst. It's an addiction…we can be overcome with bloodthirst, if we desire someone's blood strongly enough. Mage blood is…special to us. It's more desirable, makes us stronger, and…makes our bloodthirst worse. When I first met Kain-sensei, that vampire part of me smelled the strong magic in his blood and…wanted it badly…."

"I was wondering why you ran away from me the first time we met," Kain said dryly. Mai, recalling seeing the event, silently agreed.

"Eh…you remember…? I'm sorry. Yes, that's why. I've never felt bloodthirst that strongly before, especially after just meeting someone. I'm kind of used to it right now, but…if Kain-sensei and I made any kind of contract, it would just make it worse…."

"Erika-chan is a vampire, and that brings her trouble," Kamo supplied, speaking up to spare Erika from the difficulty of her task. "Vampires have their great power but, as she said, the bloodthirst is a price that comes with it. Vampires are actually used to making contracts, but in their case, since they are a race of power, they tend to be the master of the contract. They make humans into 'Servants', granting those humans immortality like they possess, but in return the human is bound to the vampire's will and becomes their permanent blood bank, as it were. If Erika-chan made a contract with Kain, even if it wasn't a vampire-Servant contract, the kiddo would end up becoming her food source."

"Er…." Mai hesitated, unsure of how to respond to that.

"In any case, for now that leaves it all up to you, Mai-chan," Kamo continued smoothly. "So, have you decided? Or do you need more time?"

Mai wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to make this kind of decision. It all seemed so crazy, so serious now. She really should just throw her hands up and walk out on all of it. She hadn't been forced to learn about magic, hadn't been coerced into coming. She'd seen Kain use magic, and then, except for that crazy incident in the library—which, as far as she could figure out, wasn't even Kain's fault—it hadn't really mattered at all. She'd been half afraid that, since her discovery of the secret, her daily life would consist of helping Kain track down missing exotic magical pets, dealing with crazed teenagers overcome with love potions, or seeing odd spells transform her classmates, or, worse, take off all their clothes for no good reason. None of it had happened…nothing had really happened until now. She didn't really want anything to do with it…but the thought of Kazumi under attack from that monster, the thought of a similar monster attacking Kagome or Momo or any of the rest of her classmates and friends…if she could do something about it, then was it possible for her to just turn a blind eye because she thought it 'didn't involve her'?

And what about Kain? That was a good question. He seemed to take his teaching duty very seriously, but why? From what he had said, this was a very unexpected stop on the road to…whatever his dream was. What was his aim?

She needed to know that. "So what are you after, Kain-sensei?"

"Eh?" Kain started, confused at the abruptness of this question. "W-what do…?"

"Well, I said before that I wanted to help you out because I couldn't stand the idea of my classmates doing such horrible things…attacking my friends…all of it. And that's true. I feel that if I know about this, and I can do something, then…I-I really just feel I should. I feel like I couldn't…not do something. But…without magic or anything, I don't know how I could stand up to a demon or a robot. Kamo-kun is probably right. If I want to help out, I need some sort of power of my own.

"But this way of getting power…this 'contract'…is a big deal, right? You say it might…coerce me into helping Kain-sensei with more than just this problem. If I become his disciple, I may have to share his dream. Before I let that knowledge help me decide what I need to do…I should know exactly what I'm getting into."

Kain nodded. "Well said, Tokiha-san. As I said, I was assigned to this school as part of my quest to become an Archmage…a master of magic, a mage-hero, dedicated to helping the people of this world and the magic world. My father…was a genius mage beyond compare, and he saved the magic world from a terrible crisis. But he disappeared around the time I was born, so I never knew him. I was raised in a small town in Wyoming, the most middle-of-nowhere place you can get in America, very isolated, but I heard stories about his exploits. Even the people of this school, those who know magic, anyway, all seem to have heard of him.

"Ever since I was born, I've walked in his shadow, and I've chased it. I've wanted to meet him…and to become someone just like him. That is my two-fold journey. Everyone thinks he's dead, but…I know he's alive." Kain reached up and grasped the collar of the white cloak he always wore. "I know it. I will find him someday. To do that, I feel I have to walk the path he walked, see the things he has seen…so I am following his path as best I can, by becoming an Archmage. At the same time, by doing so, I might become a hero even half as great as he was. That…would be more than enough."

Mai continued staring in admiration even as Kain fell silent. She envied him, more than anything, right at that moment. She had never even given thought to what she wanted to do with her life…she just lived day-to-day, enjoying the small things, and making sure she kept up with her myriad obligations. But Kain had his entire life planned out before his eyes. He was determined and set, even though evidence and obstacles stood in his way. He wanted to go out and be a hero, but instead he was spending his time teaching a bunch of middle school girls. He bore it with a smile, with patience, without complaint, because he believed he would reach his goal someday. He knew he would….

What was Mai's plan? Go to high school? And what about after she graduated? Work part-time forever? She was an orphan raised by the school, and it was all she had ever known. As the ward of Mahora Academy, they had taken care of all her needs since her arrival, which was as far back as she could remember. She never really felt sorry for herself because she had no parents, no home, no family—she was cognizant of what she had, very cognizant, and she worked part-time simply to fray the costs of her upbringing, even though the principal had assured her many times that it wasn't necessary. She had always felt…a bit of pride about that. She wouldn't survive on pure charity, no matter what it took from her. But that pride melted away before this iron will.

She couldn't possibly bear that kind of magnificent weight…she couldn't possibly walk side-by-side with someone so much more magnificent than she was, someone who made her realize her own insignificance. And yet….

And this was the most dangerous thought of all for her to have, especially about a boy like this, but hearing that story, looking at him there, lost in his dreams about his father, feeling his determination…she couldn't disappoint him. She felt she couldn't walk away from that kind of dream….

"I don't know if I'm a hero, Mai-chan. I'm not that great. I'm still just an insignificant human, too weak to do anything about the real evil in this world. But I'll help those close to me, and they'll help those close to them, and maybe, in that way, we can make some small difference in the grand scheme of things. And I won't give up, either."

Mai blinked as the odd memory fled as soon as it had arrived. She wasn't sure what, exactly, had happened, whether she'd recalled a distant memory or had a brief daydream; she had no idea what words she'd heard or images she'd seen. But somehow, the moment made the decision for her.

"All right, Kamo-kun," she agreed, turning back to the ermine. "I'll help out. I'll make a contract with Kain-sensei, and help bear his burden as long as I can, even if it's only while he's here at school. It seems the least I can do."

"Eh?" Kain broke back to reality and fidgeted. "Ah…thank you, Tokiha-san…."

"Glad to hear it! Now, you two stand right there, face each other, and pucker up!"

The temperature in the room dropped nearly ten degrees. Celsius.

"Wait, what?!" Mai and Kain shouted in unison, whipping their heads around to stare at the spirit.

"Didn't I mention that? You have to kiss to complete this contract. C'mon, get those lips moving!"

"Now hold on here…."

"I wasn't expecting this…."

"It's just crazy…."

"Right?" the two finished together, glaring at Kamo.

"C'mon, kids, you're teenagers, kissing each other should be second nature, right? Just one meeting of the lips and it's all over."

The spell was completely broken now. Kain and Mai looked at each, looked away, blushing, and turned back to Kamo.

"I…I don't think we can do this, Kamo," Kain finally managed.

"I mean, a k-kiss…we're teacher and student, among…other things…."

Erika picked Kamo up and stared at him. "What is the meaning of this, you perverted hamster?"

Kamo sighed. "Okay, would you rather do it the vampire way? Drink each other's blood?"

All three teens started at this announcement. Erika dropped Kamo in shock.

"Nothing's ever easy," Kamo said. "Okay, it's true, it's not an easy thing for you two to kiss, and it's actually better that you feel that way. The thing is, this contract is a serious deal. It binds two souls together. Not as big a deal as marriage, but in some ways you could consider it the next best thing. I was half-serious about the blood—that is one way to do it if you're into that, taking a vital part of each other. That is how vampires make contracts with their Servants, after all. I know that'd be nearly impossible for you guys, and to be honest, I don't like it much either. The kiss is best.

"See, the strength of the contract is determined by the strength of your feelings for each other. A kiss is good because it can artificially raise those feelings. That surge of emotion at the moment I bind the contract gives it its strength. Without some show of emotion to seal the spell, it won't last and it won't provide any real power."

All three teens were silent. Kain sighed. "Well, it's late, and I've had way too much stimuli today," he muttered. "Now wouldn't be a good time to make any of these kinds of decisions. Let's go get some rest and maybe we can watch Alyssa tomorrow and see where we stand with her before we go doing anything…making any rash…before we…before this is settled."

The two girls agreed with him, and they started for the door.

"As you like," Kamo agreed calmly, hopping onto Kain's shoulder. "I'll be sticking with you now, Kiddo, regardless. Just make sure you make up your mind quick…you never know when the little demon princess will come after you again."

Kain hardly slept that night. His mind was too full of too many things. Alyssa and Miyu's real identities…Kamo's sudden, convenient arrival…Erika's own identity…the concept of contracts Kamo had presented to him….

But what occupied his mind the most was that Alyssa had mentioned his father. He had been involved with her somehow. Well, of course, he had sealed her here in this school, but why? She had disappeared for so long; there had been no trace of her. Did she come out of hiding to confront him, or did he track her down for some reason? He didn't know, but, in truth, she was a clue to finding out more about his father.

He was afraid. Afraid of what the two might be able to do…to him and to his students. But more than anything, he was excited about the possibility that had been placed in his path.

Kain walked into the class and observed his students. They were all present and accounted for. Miyu's expression was as blank as ever in her seat in the back corner. Kazumi, in the middle of the room, was staring at him somewhat intently, although she looked none the worse for wear. He wondered how much she remembered.

And then he looked in the other corner at Alyssa. She smiled evilly at him.

He ignored her smile and got on with his lesson. Considering the situation, it could be said he showed remarkable composure and aplomb in the face of two horrors lurking in his class, but he didn't think of it that way.

Still, there was a marked difference in his attitude and teaching that day, and the class, of course, noticed.

"What's up with Kain-sensei?"

"I don't know…he seems angry…."

"I don't know about angry, but he's got something on his mind…."

"What do you think it is?"

"Don't know…."

While they whispered to each other, Kain, oblivious, continued his teaching.

About halfway through the class Meia knocked and opened the door. "Alyssa-chan…the principal would like to see you."

Kain stared impassively with the rest of the class as Alyssa calmly rose and followed the teacher out of the room. He then resumed the lesson, ignoring the redoubled and more intense whispering that followed this.

Miyu met Alyssa as she was coming out of the principal's building. "What was it?" the gynoid asked blandly.

"Just a routine check-up at a slightly non-routine time," Alyssa sighed. "I think the old man is just fishing for information. He's suspicious about last night's non-incident, but he doesn't know anything yet…."

She paused and smiled at the new arrival. "Well, hello, Tokiha-san. I didn't expect you to be the one to meet me today."

Mai glared at the beatific little girl. "What are you up to, Alyssa-chan?"

"Business it's best for you not to get involved in, Tokiha-san. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"Hurt, like Yoshida-san? Like Konoe-san? Like Sendô-san and Kain-sensei? You don't seem that concerned about who you hurt…." Mai paused, then continued more softly, "They say you're some kind of…of demon, Alyssa-chan. I still can't believe it, even after what I saw last night. I remember you…last year…singing, alone, up by the tree…you were so beautiful then. How can someone who can make something so beautiful do these kinds of things?"

Alyssa cocked her head at Mai. "Surprising, but it seems they've told you everything. Well, it's as you see…and as they say. I'm not actually human, but I do a pretty good impersonation, don't I? But don't sound so innocent and naïve, Tokiha Mai. I know history is your weakest subject, but you should know that humans are capable of doing so-called inhuman things while wearing angelic masks. Deep downs, humans are vile and selfish creatures themselves, after all. You and the rest of your class are not so different. Jealousy…that is your trademark…."

"That's a lie!" Mai hissed. "Okay…maybe there are people like that out there, but there are plenty of good people, too! People like Kain-sensei…people who care more about others than themselves…."

"You can believe that if you want," Alyssa shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me. I have my own objective, and what you and I believe about humans makes no difference. If you object to what I believe, or what I'm doing…what are you going to do about it?"

"I-if you try anything again, I'll stop you!"

"Quite a bluff, Tokiha-san. Do you really believe you can? Even with Kain-sensei's help? Well, you don't need to worry about it right now. I don't have enough power to 'try anything' for a while."

Mai blinked. "Huh? What?"

"It was a full moon last night…the last night of it, until next month. They did tell you I'm a sealed demon, right? My powers are gone. Only during the full moon, when dark magic is at its strongest, can I do anything. I'm not a vampire, so I can't really take blood myself, and I can't summon any minions to do it for me until next full moon. Come, Miyu."

Alyssa started walking past Mai. "You are full of righteous indignation, Tokiha-san, as misplaced and misguided as it is. But there's nothing you can do about it right now. You have a month to strengthen your resolve and come up with a way to fight me, if you really want to. Until then, let's enjoy class, shall we?"

Mai watched her go. She clenched her fist in frustration. She really was powerless, and caught between three separate desires. As she was now…she couldn't do anything….

Kain looked up in surprise as the shadow loomed over him. Erika gestured towards the student council building. "Let's continue from last night," she murmured, and started away immediately.

Kain had been seated at his usual place in the academy square at the base of the fountain. He gathered up his materials and hurried after her.

He wasn't too surprised to see Mai standing at the entrance to the building, waiting. Nodding, she joined the two of them as they entered.

Once again they went to the side room near the top of the tower, and Kain was surprised to see it occupied this time. A tall young man was seated at the desk, dressed in the uniform of Mahora's boy's high school. His unkempt blond hair and bright blue eyes gave away his identity. Standing next to him was a man of the same apparent age, wearing glasses over his own blue eyes, with his long silver hair tied in a ponytail. The blond man was immediately wrapped in a smile as they entered, while the other one remained as stone-faced as certain robots.

"Ah, so this is the famous Kain Lockeheart-sensei, isn't it?" the blond man asked, smiling widely as he rose. "Ah, and even Tokiha Mai-san. How honored our little office is!"

"You must be Sendô Iori-san," Kain replied, "President of the boy's high school student council…and Sendô-san's older brother."

"Older brother?" Mai gasped. "So he's…also…." She looked around nervously, somewhat afraid to finish the thought out loud, especially in the company.

Her eyes widened in shock as Iori was suddenly in front of her, cradling her jaw in his hand and lifting her head to lock their gazes. "That's right, Tokiha-chan," he murmured, "I am also a vampire…."

"That's enough, Nii-sama," Erika growled, shoving him away. "I brought them, so what do you want to know?"

Iori returned to his desk, clucking nonchalantly. "I was just curious as to what my dear little sister was up to recently…."

"I already told you about last night!"

"Yes, and you wanted my advice. Well, first, I must not be rude. I don't think the two of you have met my dear assistant, Tôgi Seiichirô-kun, have you? He's my vice-president and faithful assistant. Don't worry, he knows all about the 'secret' too." The long-haired man nodded politely, but his expression seemed to show he didn't care whether he was acknowledged one way or another. The silent, seriously dutiful type.

"You might be interested to know that no one knows anything about what happened last night," Iori continued casually.

"What do you mean?" Kain demanded cautiously.

"Exactly what he says," Kamo replied, manifesting from nowhere and climbing onto Kain's shoulder. "Your little incident last night was not observed by any academy officials."

"Eh? None?" Kain was flabbergasted.

"Where'd you come from all of a sudden?" Mai muttered.

"Someone used magic, powerful magic, to mask everything that was happening," Kamo explained, ignoring Mai. "I'm not sure who it was. It wasn't the kind of magic I'm used to, either. It actually felt…no, that doesn't matter. In any case, it wasn't Alyssa or her robo-girl. Alyssa doesn't have the power for that kind of spell and the 'bot doesn't have the capabilities. I don't know more than that."

"I know about it only because Erika came here last night," Iori picked up. "This room, if you haven't guessed, is a special room reserved for…the more interesting student council members."

"I was wondering why there was blood in the refrigerator," Mai noted dryly.

"Yes, that's Erika's special stash just for her use, though! No one else here uses it…."

"Nii-sama!"

"Eh?" Mai started. "Then…how do you…get blood…?"

"How indeed? You know, Tokiha-chan, Erika's probably debunked most of the vampire myths for you, but the one about a vampire's bite inducing euphoria in the victim is actually true. How would you like to donate a little to my…."

A vase sailed through the air and impacted squarely on Iori's face. Amazingly, it bounced onto the desk and rolled around harmlessly, not breaking from either impact.

"Erika-chan, that's rather dangerous," Iori whined. "That's an expensive vase…."

"Then maybe you'll remember to keep stupid expensive talk to yourself!" the red-faced Erika seethed. "Baka Nii-sama…."

"In any case, you're saying the principal is completely unaware of what happened last night?" Kain ventured.

"To be perfectly honest, that's right," Iori sighed. "Well, he wouldn't want me to tell you, but under the circumstances I think it's best. Erika says you suspect the principal left you with your current class because he wants to see what you'll do with Alyssa-chan. That's mostly correct. He wasn't sure if she'd risk completely exposing herself by going after you, and wanted to see how you would handle it, for good or ill. If you succeeded, it would go well towards moving you on your path to Archmagehood…if you couldn't handle it, well, you would learn a valuable lesson about how great the world is, and that, too, would have helped you. Of course, he wanted you to be under careful surveillance during the event, with several members of the Magic Council in the shadows watching, ready to intervene if things went awry. For whatever reason, something clouded us all even as we watched. We all felt magic being worked, we sent various forms of reconnaissance spirits and spells out to find the cause, but none of us found anything. But Erika tells me the three of you confronted Alyssa and her robot bodyguard, Miyu Greer. This is most intriguing…."

"Please try to take this seriously, Nii-sama…."

"I am, I am! Well, what are you going to do now, Kain-sensei? I haven't let the principal know about anything yet, but we should probably inform him and take steps. After all…taking this seriously…if something is strong enough to block the efforts of the greatest mages in Japan, we need to subdue Alysaser and find out if she knows what is doing it."

Kain was silent for several moments. "We probably should," he agreed, then shook his head. "But still, I'd rather not have anyone else know. I want to deal with Alyssa on my own, as her appointed teacher, and also as her target, as the son of Kalan Lockeheart who sealed her. Can you keep this a secret from the principal?"

"Oh, not a problem. I've been around longer than he has, so I am certainly more than capable. And I'm willing, too…I'd like to see how this all plays out."

"Wait…you're older than the principal?" Mai gasped.

"That's right…we vampires are immortal, you know; didn't Erika tell you?"

Kain and Mai turned to Erika, who blushed and stammered out, "N-Nii-sama aside, I'm the same age as Tokiha-san and Kain-sensei!"

"Okay…but, Sendô-senpai, what are you still doing in school if you're that old…?"

"Ah! Excellent question! I have four things in this school I'm keeping an eye on," he replied, winking. "One of them is Erika. The other three…are a secret.

"In any case, Kain-sensei, do you have any idea how you're going to deal with Alyssa? From what I heard, you didn't fare too well against her last night."

"Eh, well, in her sealed state her magical power is kind of weak, so I'd be fine, but having Miyu with her is a problem…."

"Which means," Kamo finally broke in, "the kiddo needs to make a contract with one of these two lovely ladies to give him the equalizer…."

"Oh! A contract, like Kalan-dono made? An excellent idea, Hamster-kun!"

"Ermine, you bloodsucking…."

"So, Erika, why don't you make a contract with Kain-sensei? Kaya-chan would be most pleased if you took him…."

"Shut up, Nii-sama!" Erika shouted, red-faced and far angrier than Kain had ever seen her. She composed herself and continued, "We couldn't make a contract together, end of story…."

Iori shrugged and turned back to Mai. "Very well then. Are you interested, Tokiha-chan? The fact that you're here seems to suggest you're willing to stick your neck into this, to all our surprise, but you can't accomplish very much without any magic or training…."

"I know…Kamo-kun already went over all that…."

"In any case, we aren't decided about anything as serious as contracts right now," Kain agreed hurriedly. He sighed. "I wish we had a little more time to think about this and prepare…."

"Oh! I think we do." Mai haltingly told of her encounter with Alyssa earlier that day.

"You confronted the little demon princess?" Iori wondered aloud with a smile. "My. I really didn't think you'd do anything like that. Well, that is good news, and rather obvious when you think of it."

"Yes, the full moon would increase her power," Kain murmured. "But does she really have none left…?"

"Oh, your father's seal was so strong we honestly believed she wouldn't have any at all. That's one of the reasons we let you teach her class; we didn't think she'd even be able to do something, but the thought was, if she did have enough power to cause trouble, you would be a great test dummy for it. In any case," Iori continued before Kain could comment on that rather interesting reference, "it's better news all around. That should give you a month to really decide if you want to try and resist her, or explain everything to the principal, or investigate the mysterious power cloaking her, or prepare for your fight to the death with her. And I think a month is more than enough time for you to come to grips with whether you want to be serious about contracts or not. I should say, with someone like the binding spirit around, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"In any case, Nii-sama," Erika interrupted, "thank you for listening to us, and thank you for your hospitality. We should go before we bother you any further." With a bow, she ushered the other two out.

"So, that's your brother," Mai mused sheepishly. "He's an…interesting person…."

"He causes me nothing but trouble," Erika sighed, then softened. "But even though he's unreliable, we can trust him. He won't interfere at all, and if we ask, he would help us as much as he could. Well, what now, Kain-sensei? Are you going to wait a month before doing anything?"

Kain paused, considering. "Not a month, certainly. I'll keep an eye out tonight, just in case, and…I'll think about what to do. Whatever it is, I'm going to start tomorrow. I can't afford to drag my feet."

"I see. Well, let us know if there's anything you need us to do!"

"I will," Kain said, but, unusually, he was not feeling totally honest about it. They had pressured him into accepting their help last night, but this was his business and worry, and if he didn't have to involve them, he wouldn't.

He hurried out first and caught sight of Kazumi heading to the dorm. "Yoshida-san!" he called.

Kazumi paused and turned around. "Eh?" She started at the sight of her teacher. "K-Kain-sensei! H-how do you do…?"

"Fine. Yourself? Are you all right?"

"Er, y-yes. I'm fine. A-about last night…."

Kain tensed.

"I-I don't really remember what happened, b-but…I think I was attacked…d-did you save me…?"

Kain somewhat relaxed. "You don't remember anything? Are you sure you're all right?"

"N-no, I don't really. I remember seeing you there, but…that's all…what did happen? Was it…serious…?"

"Well, the memory loss is more serious…it might just be from shock, but you should probably check with a nurse to make sure you didn't suffer any lasting harm." There was likely no way to explain away the torn clothes and such she suffered, especially since she had been put into Kagome's care and she was clueless as to the real events, but feigning concern over the minor amnesia he'd helped cause was a good way to explain his efforts to discern how much she might remember or suspect. "In any case, I…well, I did save you, I guess. A beast of some sort made its way onto the grounds and attacked you, and I managed to scare it off. Must have been an animal escaped from a local zoo or something. I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"Ah, no, of course. T-thank you for saving me…."

"It was nothing. I've got more things to do, Yoshida-san, so I've got to run…see you in class tomorrow!"

"Y-yeah…bye…."

As Kazumi watched Kain walk off, two figures came up behind her. "Kazumi!" Yukari cried, grabbing her from behind. "What was that about?"

"Eh?! Ah, Yukari-chan…."

"We've hardly had a chance to talk to you!" Matake exclaimed. "You were in Kagome's room last night, you had a torn uniform, and you ran off to school this morning before we had a chance to talk to you! What happened?!"

"Ah…well…."

Another small drama played out in the grand stage of Mahora Academy, where the stage of a grand battle was just being laid….

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Kamolai, Iori Sendô and Seiichirô Tôgi

As I noted, the vampires are from Fortune Arterial mostly as they appear in that work, which explains Erika's hesitancy to make a contract with Kain (besides the kissing thing, which most middle schoolers would be adverse to). In fact, Erika's implied initial reaction to Kain is based on the first meeting between the protagonist of that work, Kohei Hasekura, and Erika. She greets him as soon as he enters the school grounds for the first time, introduces herself, and goes to shake his hand. Just as he's about to take it, however, she feels an overwhelming bloodthirst (desire to suck his blood, specifically, in this case) and flees the scene, leaving the ignorant Kohei very confused and hurt. Erika's reaction there is that there is something special about Kohei, a mystery that is implied and secretly pursued over the course of the story, although the reason for the parallel here is obvious and stated—Kain's strong magical power and the special nature (taken from other magic + vampire works) of mage blood when drunk by vampires. In any case, the strengthening relationship between Kohei and Erika as they interact and work together and the equally strengthening desire Erika must fight to feed on him is a continuous theme of Fortune Arterial. It is a theme that will follow Kain and Erika as they work together on this incident and others that will occur in the future. And, again, I will show this scene in a later mini-arc.

Lots of long-winded explanations here, but we're setting the stage for this climactic battle and several more to follow. The next chapter will have a bit more action and interesting events in it, and the final battle with Alyssa should follow that. Please bear with it.

_ Now, Kamolai is an obvious adaptation of the perverted ermine companion of Negima, Chamomile. To be honest, the Negima storyline is so impressive to me (at least the parts that happen after the initial senseless poor mage causing indiscriminate fan service episodes) that it inspired several story ideas. For one, I decided on a similar (read: blatant rip-off, like this story) storyline to use in the saga of one of my major story heroes, Karl Frederick Corbin. Karl Frederick Corbin is a high schooler from Florida who is plucked off earth and deposited in the magical world of Mandaria, a Heroes of Might and Magic-styled world of high magic that is on the path to destruction due to the never-ending war between the forces of good, evil and neutrality. He has been summoned as the prophesied savior. Although he is not the traditional normal person-turned magic hero (he is a jock, albeit a highly intelligent one, more interested in basketball than video games, role-playing games, anime and the like), he becomes a Master of Magic and saves the world, although not in a way anyone expected. Afterwards, he is given the chance to go home, but instead chooses to use his new powers to help save other troubled worlds. I had already developed several other story ideas for what has happened to him after this time, and have part of one story written up in my collection of partially-started stories, as well. However, after getting into Negima, I decided that his first experience with world-saving post-Mandaria would be a similar universe, magic teacher and all. I also decided to give him a companion similar to Negi's Kamo-kun, and thus Kamolai (with a remarkably cheap rip-off name) was born.

Part of the reason for this double coverage of the same concept is because of how cool the Pactio system from Negima works—like Bleach's zanpaku-tô, it's a magic system that is unique and very interesting. A contract between two characters produces a magic tarot-like card with all sorts of abilities, not the least of which is the inclusion of a powerful, unique artifact that can be summoned, artifacts with unique and awesome abilities of their own. One of Negima's smaller flaws is that they never give a good reason for why such powerful artifacts are made so easily, so the character of Kamolai explains this better. He's not merely a magical ermine with some weird magic, a perverted streak, and a desire for 'ermine dollars'; this Kamo-kun is a magical spirit whose essence allows him to bind humans together and supply them with power. He shares a portion of Kamo's hentai streak, but not to the extent he steals girls' underwear and nests in it; rather, he just likes to assume the form of a cute animal so that girls with treat him affectionately, and for whatever reason he enjoys it (he has a kind of lecherousness picked up merely from contact with humans, as greater beings in fantasy fiction often do from their interaction with mortals). He was not saved by Negi while engaged in ecchi activities as Kamomille was; he saved Kain from trouble the danger-seeking boy was involved in because he actually knows his father. He presses for contracts because, as a spirit of contracts, he draws sustenance and pleasure from the use of his magic to such ends. He is only semi-heroic, but he is more heroic than Chamomile, and should be relatively amusing. As a heroic spirit going about aiding human heroes, he has been planned into many stories of mine recently, besides his 'origin story' with aiding Karl—he is scheduled to appear in the 4th 'season' of the Magiverse/Anime Story, helping Ryan and co. bind the Magiverse together to prevent it from collapsing.

Obviously, his presence here and this information means that he'll be helping Kain out by binding him into contracts with the girls. Will he end up with a Negima-like harem? Almost certainly. This isn't spoiler; it would be spoiler to note which ones actually make the contracts with him. Wait and see what it takes to convince them….

_ I took the opportunity to introduce Iori and Seiichirô (here, the left and right, with, in the middle, Seiichirô's little sister Shiro). They are, of course, actually from Fortune Arterial. Iori is actually shown in a serious light here (with serious business going on) but he normally causes a lot of trouble, especially for Erika and Kohei. Among other things, he's always trying to institute embarrassing and provocative school events, he has (on multiple occasions) switched the male and female bath signs so Kohei would walk in on naked girls (first Erika, and later the whole harem), and he encourages Kohei to try to seduce Erika (or vice versa). Seiichirô is also forced to try and keep him in line. Seiichirô is normally just the treasurer, but since there are multiple student councils here, it was convenient to move him up to the vice president of his council. He's a mostly minor character, all the more minor for the small part the Sendô family plays in the story. The Tôgi family is a human family, dedicated to the service of the Sendôs throughout the generations. That little sister, Shiro, who may or may not appear in the story at some point.

Now, hopefully this will put a pause on the 80% dialogue chapters…


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Nine: Demon-Touched, Part III: Teacher vs. Student

The thought of a month of reprieve relaxed Kain greatly, although he tried to resist the urge to forget about it entirely and enjoy each day as it came like all those before. He kept himself motivated with the thought, not of the impending terror of battle, but of the promise of learning something about his father. With this in mind, he decided that he should first confront Alyssa himself and have a talk with her.

Not a 'we could all get along fine if only we could work this out' talk—he was somewhat naïve, and he could hope for the thought, but he wasn't foolish enough to expect it. Getting the chance out of the way first was the most important, and to make sure it wasn't wasted breath, he could at least seek to establish some ground rules for their eventual duel.

He was surprised to find that Alyssa and Miyu were not in class the next morning, however. "Where are Alyssa and Miyu?" he asked the class in surprise as they took attendance.

"I believe Alyssa-chan is sick again, Sensei," Hinagiku offered, "and Miyu-san is taking care of her."

Hinagiku's almost reproving tone was to remind Kain that Alyssa had often been absent for illness. Now, however, that excuse seemed suspect. It would probably be an excellent idea to go and drop in on her…after the lesson.

Alyssa did not stay at the dorms, but rather had her own lodging out in the woods on the east side of the school even farther from the main school section than Chisame. Rather convenient, Kain thought, and probably the best for all. Apparently Miyu had been staying with her for some time to properly take care of her.

It was a rather large western-style house, with many windows. It likely had at least four bedrooms of decent size. It rather surprised Kain, who hadn't expected it.

Trying to quell his trepidation and nervousness, he strode up to the door and knocked.

Miyu opened the door a few seconds later and stared at Kain with her blank expression. "Ah, Kain-sensei," she said. "What brings you here?"

Kain cleared his throat. "I'm here to see Alyssa. Is she actually here?"

"Of course she is. She is ill, and I'm attending to her. Although, now that you are here, I would ask you to watch her for some time. I must go fetch more medicine and food."

She immediately moved to exit, and Kain, surprised again, turned to allow her past. As she started away he stopped her. "Wait a minute…why are you leaving her alone with me? I'm your enemy…it's not a very smart move to…."

"Kain-sensei is soft and weak-hearted," Miyu replied. "You were unable to defeat her the other night when you had the prime opportunity and she was threatening you. There is no way you would have the resolve to do her harm in her current condition. And even if you did…I can promise you that I will kill you if you harm Alyssa-sama in any way."

And with that she left. Kain stared after her, blinking.

"What's going on, Miyu?" a small voice called weakly from within.

Kain entered cautiously in response, allowing a "Pardon the intrusion." He left his shoes on, since it was a western house.

There was a small living room and, just beyond it, a large bedroom. The door was open, revealing a large four-poster bed and little Alyssa lying on top of it. She sat up as Kain timidly entered the room. "Ah, Kain-sensei," she murmured. "Have you come to deal with me while I'm weak and feeble? Come, then…give it your best shot."

Kain hesitated. She really didn't look well. She was still in her pajamas, she was sweating, and she looked quite pale. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus on him properly.

"Er…are you…all right?"

"No, Sensei, I'm ill, as I'm sure you've been informed…er…." She fell backwards and collapsed on the bed.

"Ill? But, you're a demon…!"

"I'm a demon whose power has been sealed and who has been cursed with the form of an eternally ten-year-old human girl," Alyssa explained patiently. "My body isn't really all that strong. I get sick quite easily."

"But…I didn't think…."

"Yes, well, that's how it is," she murmured. "Now, are you going to finish me off or not? You won't get a better chance…."

"Finish you…? No! Nothing of the sort!"

"Heh. You're sentimental and weak."

"That's not it." Kain sat on a chair that was next to the bed. "I…would rather not fight you at all, and I'd certainly rather not kill you. Maybe I'm sentimental…but I think my father bound you here for a reason, even if you don't appreciate it. From all I've heard of him, he certainly could have destroyed you without much trouble, especially if he did all this to you. If he didn't…I don't think you're all that terrible."

"Heh. Obviously you don't know me…." She shivered.

Kain reached out and touched Alyssa's forehead. Yes, it was quite hot. He knew a little healing magic, but curing diseases was a trickier kind of magic usually left to specialists, and besides, he still wasn't so sure he wanted to try something like that on a demon, human form or no.

"In any case, you are quite sick, and Miyu demanded I take care of you while she's gone." He stood up.

"I don't want you to…."

"Patients don't get to argue," Kain retorted.

He fetched cold water and laid a moist cloth on her forehead. He continued to care for her for some time, fetching her water, fixing the last remaining bit of food in the house into a fine porridge, helping her to the toilet when she required. Finally she fell asleep, looking slightly less terrible.

Kain sat in the chair, staring at her. Mai had told him before that she had once found Alyssa singing sweetly alone (except for Miyu) in a secluded corner of the grounds one day. She had the voice of an angel, and, lying there in the bed, sleeping soundly, her face peaceful, she showed the features thereof. 'Golden Angel' indeed. Hard to imagine this weak little girl ever threatened humanity….

She rolled over in her sleep and softly murmured, "Kalan…." Kain froze. Was she…dreaming…about…his father…?

Kain fumbled with his cloak and pulled out his staff. He felt slightly guilty for this, but put the thoughts behind him. What he wanted more than anything else was to know about the man who had preceded him….

He cast the spell.

He stood in front of a lake. It was easy to recognize…the small body of water was Mahora's lake, located north of the main academy buildings. It had a few miniature harbors along its southern and eastern shores, and the man stood at the end of a long pier.

His features couldn't be made out, for he wore a fine, thick cloak of brilliant white with its hood up. He wore rough traveling clothes and held a tall, crooked staff in his hand. He stood with his back to the lake.

Standing about fifteen feet from him was Alyssa, still apparently ten years old, still in the black dress she preferred, still with that black ribbon in her hair. "I've finally found you," she murmured. "Back here again, I see."

The man didn't reply. "Come now," Alyssa continued. "Nothing to say to your old friend, after all this time…after you abandoned me?"

"Abandoned you? I told you I was leaving, and you didn't want to come along."

"You didn't want me."

"I didn't want to travel with Alysaser, the Herdsman of the Dark. If my childhood friend Alyssa Searrs had traveled with me…well, maybe I wouldn't have made so many sacrifices in that war."

"Alyssa is just a disguise, a mask," she sneered.

"Yes, but you enjoyed wearing it around me. There's been some human in you growing for some time, Alyssa. I always hoped you would take a chance on giving it a more earnest try."

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "Human in me? Ridiculous."

"Then why'd you come here? Why do you care? Aren't I just another human toy you threw away? Admit it…you're here because you miss me that badly…."

"Shut up!" Alyssa dropped her hand to the ground, and a quartet of demonic beasts flowed out of the ground and descended on the man. With a swing of his staff, a strike of hand and foot, he dispersed them all easily.

"Is that the best you've got, Alyssa? You can't hope to take me with pets like these."

"Maybe not, but they make a good distraction." Alyssa, now suddenly standing behind the man, punched him in the back.

As he began to fall forward, his mouth open in shock and pain, he suddenly vanished, disappearing in a puff of smoke. His cloak, however, remained behind, floating in the air. "Eh?" Alyssa wondered.

The cloak suddenly enveloped her, constricting all of her save her head. Even worse, she suddenly found herself cut off and helpless, completely unable to call upon her magic. "What's the meaning of this?" she exclaimed in anger.

The man, Kalan Lockeheart, was now standing where she had started, smiling at her. He looked very much like Kain, with flaming red hair and blazing blue eyes, but he was obviously somewhat older, with a stronger, straighter face. "This is the Cloak of Rashira, a gift I received during my travels. It's a very powerful artifact; it has a powerful hold over time and space. I've set you apart in space-time, so you can't access your magic at all.

"And now…." Kalan began to walk around the girl, drawing a magical diagram. "We'll find a longer-lasting solution…."

Alyssa began to scream and wail as she fought against the cloak. "Why?" she demanded. "Why couldn't you have chosen me? I wanted you to stay with me!"

"Because I'm not a lolicon," Kalan replied flatly as he continued drawing his circle.

"I'm thousands of years old!"

"I don't like old ladies much, either."

"Didn't I mean anything to you?!"

"Of course you did," Kalan said, more softly. "But you didn't mean more to me than the fate of two entire worlds. I never could have turned my back on that. I was sorry you didn't join me. But you made your choice, and I made mine. There, done."

"Ah, here we are," murmured Kensuke Higurashi as he strode up to the scene. "So this is the great demon Alysaser, looking like nothing more than a harmless little girl? How interesting…."

"Let me go, you fool!" Alyssa shrieked.

"So, what are you planning to do with her now?" the principal asked.

"Let her live life as a human for a while. We'll see what she can learn as a member of this school. Maybe someday she'll really appreciate what it means to be human."

He chanted out a long phrase, and impressive magical effects accompanied his incantation. When the dust had cleared…well, Alyssa was sitting on the ground, Kalan's cloak half on her, looking quite distraught but otherwise no different.

"Ho, her magical power's completely gone," Kensuke murmured. "You are amazing, Kalan. You've bound her to the school, then?"

"That's right. Congratulations, Alyssa; you're now a student of Mahora Academy for as long as the curse lasts. I'll be busy for a while, but if you ever do enough to graduate, I'll come see you and free you from this curse. Take this opportunity to do things you've never done and see what it means to really be among the humans."

"Hmm, it'd be too pathetic to make her a primary schooler," said the principal. "I'll put her in the middle school. She'll certainly have no trouble acting bright enough to belong there…."

The dream faded away. Kain sat there, holding his staff, thinking. So, that was his father…as incredible as he had imagined. He had rendered the great demon powerless, and so easily….

So Alyssa did have a past with his father. Interesting…he wondered how much more there was to it….

He heard the sound of the door opening, and Miyu walked in. "Kain-sensei," she greeted him as she walked into the room. "I see you have been taking care of Alyssa-sama. Thank you."

"Ah…it's nothing," Kain murmured, rising. "Miyu…why do you care so much for Alyssa?"

Miyu stared at him for a second. Then she turned her gaze to the sleeping child. He actually saw a smile shift into place on her features. "I was created, programmed for the purpose of serving and protecting Alyssa Searrs. However, this…yes, is more than just a command protocol to me. It is my will as well. I wish to protect this child. I do not have a logical explanation for why. Even if it means crossing you, Kain-sensei, or the school; I have no desire to do so, but if Alyssa-sama requires it, then the whole world will become my enemy."

Miyu had shown real emotion during the fight, when Mai interrupted and stopped her from taking Kain's blood. She'd been concerned about her. Yes…there was real emotion in that robotic, 'positronic' heart, and most of it was devoted to the being she'd been created for. In a way, it was like the human instinct to revere God, even when they understood nothing about it. He couldn't fault Miyu for anything she did…but she, too, as she said, would remain his enemy.

Alyssa stirred and awoke. "Ah…Miyu, you're back…."

"Yes, Alyssa-sama. Are you well?"

"I'm actually feeling somewhat better. I suppose I should thank Kain-sensei for looking after me." She glanced up at him with a just a tinge of scorn.

Kain waved it away. "It's nothing. I didn't come here to take care of you, after all; I just did what I had to."

"True. I suppose I should ask what you did come for…?"

"Actually…I was hoping…I guess you could say I was hoping to reach an agreement."

"What? You want me to stop acting like a demon and be a proper student?"

"Not really that…I know I can't talk you out of trying to take my blood and releasing yourself from your curse. I understand that. I'm willing to accept it…if you agree not to harm my students."

Alyssa glanced askew at him. "Pardon?"

"I've heard that you won't get enough power back to fight me or make use of my blood until next month, at the next full moon. In that case, when the time comes, I will fight you properly, I mean, in a proper duel, I guess. I'm trying to set conditions for it. I'll do this if you agree not to harm any of my other students. Then, if you win, you'll be free to take my blood. If I win, I want you to stop trying to take my blood and break your curse that way, and start attending school as you should, until you can graduate properly."

"Tch. What a row of demands. Tell me, if some of your students try to get involved in our fight, am I supposed to keep my hands off of them as well? Very clever attempt, Kain-sensei…."

Kain shook his head. "I'll try not to get them involved myself, although I can't promise anything. If they do join the fight…well, you can't promise anything more if they attack you, I understand. It's the uninvolved ones, like Konoe-san and Yoshida-san that I'm worried about."

"Hmph. Very well. I suppose I owe you at least a little for today, so I'll agree to your arrogant demands. It won't make much difference in the end, anyway. And if somehow you beat me, I'll be a proper student until I grad—." She stopped suddenly and stared hard at Kain. She looked at the staff in his hand. "Kain-sensei…why are you holding that?"

"Eh? This? N-no reason, I just took it out for comfort…."

"You were looking at my dreams, weren't you?! You cad! Baka! I take that back! I'll kill you and take your blood right now…!"

"I didn't see anything!" Kain peeped.

Miyu moved to restrain her struggling master. "You're still not fully healthy, Alyssa-sama, you'd better not move about so fiercely." She turned back to Kain. "I think you'd better go, Kain-sensei. Thank you again for your help today."

Kain gave a half-hearted goodbye and scampered.

Alyssa fell silent, breathing heavily, glaring after him for a few moments. Finally she sighed and fell back on the bed, a sullen expression on her face. "Idiot," she muttered. "He's just like his father…."

"Interesting encounter," Kamo said as he materialized on Kain's shoulder again. "I hope you don't start pitying Alyssa because of what you saw in there. She is a ruthless demon, after all, and she'll still go all out to use your blood to break her curse…."

"I'm sure she will," Kain relied grimly, gripping the collar of his cloak. "But I saw some of what I wanted, at least."

The next day was Friday, but the classes were cancelled to prepare for annual electrical maintenance the following evening. With no class to teach, Kain decided to take a walk and collect his thoughts.

He knew what he had to do, and he knew his clash with Alyssa would come, but he was still wrestling with his feelings. He still wasn't sure how he could defeat her—at least, her and Miyu at the same time. He had already learned much about his father, which was his primary goal. Maybe he should go ahead and tell the principal about everything? Together they could help restrain Alyssa and keep her from causing any more problems….

But he had already gotten her to agree to leave everyone else alone. Getting help at this point would be cowardly and dishonorable, wouldn't it? It might be especially bad since his father—and, it would seem, the principal as well—hoped that Alyssa would develop some human empathy through this. Betraying the promise he had made in seeking help from the 'Magic Council' would hardly make her think highly of being and acting human….

He was so lost in thought he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and he stepped right off the cliff in front of him.

The Mahora Academy grounds were certainly impressive, to boast enough wilderness that they could even have a cliff in their forested reaches.

Kain's descent was so sudden that, lost in thought as he was, even he couldn't recover in time to save himself from the fall through magic. The most he could do was his most instinctive magic, which put a shield of magical energy over him so he wouldn't suffer as much physical damage as he might have otherwise.

Still, he was a mass of bruises by the time he hit the bottom, and he wasn't sure how long before he came to his senses. When he did, what he saw was Akari looking down at him. "Kain-sensei?" she asked. "Are you all right?"

Kain moaned and sat up. "Mostly, I suppose."

"Did you fall from that cliff over there?" Akari pointed, and Kain looked up at it. It was quite a ways distant; he had bounced and rolled for some time.

"I think so," he moaned. "It certainly feels like it."

"I'm surprised you are not in worse shape," stated another voice on his other side. He turned and saw Kiami sitting on a rock. "You must have trained yourself fairly hard."

"Ah, not really," Kain said dismissively. "Just lucky, I guess. Where…am I?"

"Well," Akari said with a slight laugh, "You've fallen into our secret training grounds."

"Training grounds?" Kain looked around. It just looked like wilderness to him. Nice, forested wilderness, with lots of life, not like the ugly desert of his homeland, but wilderness nonetheless.

"That's right," Kiami agreed. "We train ourselves here on our days off."

"Train? Martial arts?" he queried, remembering they were both members of the so-called 'Martial Arts Mastery Society'.

"That's right," Akari agreed.

"But…don't you need a dôjô and…everything else to train?"

The two stared at him, then Akari began to laugh. "Oh, Kain-sensei, you don't know much about the higher martial arts, do you?"

"Not much," he admitted.

"The basics can be taught in a dôjô," Kiami replied. "But martial arts are not just about techniques and kata. Martial arts are a way of life. A way of survival. That higher way must be learned from everything in this world, and from living. This kind of place is a place of life and death where one can truly master martial arts."

"I see. A way of life," Kain repeated.

"But why did you come here, Sensei?" Akari asked.

Kain sighed. "I was just thinking…trying to find an answer to a question."

"What question?"

"Well, I…it's kind of hard to explain, but you could say it's a question about a way of life."

"Is it?" Kiami said. "If you like, you can train with us here for today. Perhaps you may find the answer to your difficult question."

Kain shrugged. "Why not? It's worth a try."

"Out here in the wilderness, there is no easy access to food," Akari explained. "But there is plenty to eat if you know where to look."

Kain nodded, putting aside thoughts of how odd it was to have 'wilderness' not only in the middle of Japan, but in the middle of school grounds.

The pair had taken Kain down to a large stream or small river that flowed out from the lake. As Akari continued to lecture Kain, Kiami moved downstream.

"There are plenty of fish in this river," Akari continued as she waded barefoot into the water. "If you can catch them, you could live around here indefinitely."

"Er, how do you catch them?" Kain asked. She had no net, line, or any other tools generally used for the purpose. "With martial arts?"

Akari smiled at him. "More or less." She bent down slightly. "Just watch." She stood silently and waited for several seconds. Then, she suddenly swept her hand into the water and a fish flew up through the air and landed, flopping pitifully, onto the shore.

"Neat," Kain said. "That…didn't look that hard…."

"Would you like to come give it a try?" Akari asked him sweetly.

Kain hesitated, but agreed; he might as well see more closely what Akari was doing.

He removed his own foot garments and waded into the water. It was clear and pure, and he could easily see the swarms of fish moving about under its surface. "So, what…? You just grab them?"

"Give it a try."

Kain had confidence in his reactions and speed, so he decided to do just that. They moved so easily through the water, but they coasted casually, not moving with any great speed. When he entered the water they moved with more urgency and avoided swimming near him, but as he settled down and fell still to watch them, they relaxed and returned to using the whole river. Kain waited cautiously, then darted his hand in the water and…came up with nothing. The fish again scattered for a time, then returned to their normal movement.

Kain frowned. He attempted several more times but came up literally empty-handed each time he tried to snatch one of the fish. Frustrated, he considered using magic to aid him, but shoved aside the thought. If he couldn't do this normally, there wasn't any point….

Finally he leaned up and looked at Akari, exasperated. "Okay," he said finally, "what's the trick?"

She giggled. "You're certainly quick, Kain-sensei, but you can't catch fish like this just by being quick. You have to understand your opponent, especially when you're facing them in their territory." She bent down again and stared at the water for a time. Then her hand snaked out and swept another fish to the shore.

Kain turned back to stare at the water. She made it seem so easy. What was the secret? 'Understanding the opponent', she said, 'in their territory'. What was that supposed to mean?

…One thing he knew about water was that it distorted vision. He had noted the difference after his first couple attempts and thought he had adjusted for it, but it didn't seem to make any difference….

But….

He disturbed the water a few more times and watched the fish's reaction. Yes, they always moved the same way…and Akari had struck oddly as well….

He waited, centered himself, and sensed their movement. He carefully observed the flow of the river and the flow of the fish. They knew the river; it was their home, and they knew when it was disturbed even slightly. No matter how fast he was, he couldn't catch them in their environment by trying to grab them…but….

They only fled one direction.

He finally stuck his hand in the water, and managed to sweep a fish out towards the shore. He stared after it, somewhat surprised.

Akari was equally surprised. "Impressive," she murmured. "You figured that out quite quickly, Kain-sensei. As expected of a genius teacher."

Kain scratched his head. "Ah…no…it's nothing, really…."

Then he looked downstream at Kiami. She was also standing silently in the water, and Kain expected her to mimic Akari's fishing technique.

She suddenly leapt into the air and threw a kunai knife into the water. Three fish jumped into the air in response, and, still almost hovering at the top of her arc, she speared the fish with three more knives, sending them flying onto the shore.

Kain stared, then turned to Akari. "And what was that?" he demanded.

Akari shrugged. "She's just showing off."

Kain had several more survival exercises/lessons from Akari while Kiami continued to 'help out' by showing off her, well, ninja skills. It had not been any kind of joke or secret in the notes about her status as a ninja; she demonstrated that she was, indeed, a ninja, with almost classically mythological ninja skills. In particular, when they were hunting for wild herbs and vegetables to eat with the fish, Kiami noted that the searching went much faster with bunshin, and she separated herself out into five copies of herself to do the picking.

Kain was flabbergasted. It was a type of magic, but not the kind he was used to—his studies had left him with a very fine understanding of magic, and there was no other explanation for some of the skills Kiami used, but they didn't set off his magic sense. Takamichi had explained to him that, besides normal magic, there was another power that could be used called chi or ki. Using the body's physical energy, many magic-like effects could be produced by those who had the inner power.

He ended up spending the entirety of the day with them, and did indeed learn much about the way of life of 'higher martial arts.' Kiami and Akari spent some time sparring in front of him, and it was some the most incredible fighting skills he had ever witnessed—and he was sure they were still largely holding back.

They were both from Yokohama, and, apparently, raised by rival dôjôs that focused on the 'higher' martial arts. 'Hokushinryû' was the dôjô Akari was from, while Kiami's was called 'Akasôryû'. A third school had sent its heir as well, a young man their age who was in the boy's middle school.

They were Baka Rangers, but Kain's experience with them that day showed that they were highly intelligent and motivated; it seemed they just had difficulty with academic subjects.

And they were best friends and worst rivals. They had grown up together, heirs of rival schools, had come to Mahora together at the start of Middle School, and everything they did was a competition, but they showed complete respect and care for each other. They were also total opposites—Akari was halting and unsure socially but eager to speak and participate, and she tried her best to be respectful and not offend. Kiami, on the other hand, was usually more reserved and quiet, but showed flashes of emotion with mischievous intent. She had teased and tantalized Kain throughout the adventure underneath the library, and did the same here. When they produced a large drum near the end of the evening to show Kain how a heated bath could be taken in the wilderness, Kiami asked—three times—if Kain would like to take his bath with her.

After the threat had been waved away, Kain finally settled into the warm water and relaxed. "How is it?" Akari called from a safe distance.

"Ah—it's nice!" Kain replied.

"Good. So, have you learned anything? Found your answer?"

Kain paused in the act of answering. He'd been quite enjoying the day's little escapade, and had almost forgotten what had brought him here. "I'm not sure," he finally replied. "The situations seem completely different. I've learned a lot, but I'm not sure I can relate what I've learned with you two with the problem I'm facing."

"Everything can be related in some way," Akari replied. "I'm sure you still don't think that our exercises here have much to do with martial arts, and you wouldn't without experiencing it for a long time. What is it you're looking for?"

Kain hesitated. How much could he really say? How much could he explain? "I'm not sure…there is…something I have to do. I don't want to say I'm involved in a fight, but…there's someone I have to defeat. I'm uncertain, however…what I should do…if I should try to seek another way…or…."

"You know what you should do," Akari corrected him. "You sound like you want there to be another way, but you know there isn't. You're afraid?"

"What? N-no, I'm…! Well, maybe…."

"That's not unusual. I'm curious as to what kind of battle our sensei may be involved in, but I won't pry. It's no shame to be afraid, and it's no shame to have doubts. It's human to have those feelings. You must make sure that your heart is set on what you must do. It won't do you any good to let those fears and doubts control you. You're intelligent and talented, Kain-sensei; we've seen that often enough.

"If you're this uncertain, it's probably because you're having trouble finding a way to win. As I said, you can relate events to each other. Remember the fishing exercise…the obvious solution wasn't the correct one. You had to realize an alternate way to accomplish your desire."

Kain thought on that. "I see," he said finally. "That's sound advice, Heiro-san…thank you."

The three settled down to sleep together in a cave, making bedding out of what local foliage they could scrounge up. Kain was, naturally, uncomfortable with this arrangement, but by the time they were ready to settle down, it was too late to try and make their way back to the dormitory, and there was no reasonable place he could go to sleep. He accepted the decision without much complaint, so full was his head of other thoughts.

After only a few hours, he rose and walked out of the cave. He had dozed briefly, but his mind was still on his problems—and Akari's advice. Her suggestion had triggered a memory of yesterday's encounter with Alyssa, and her dream he had invaded. Now he had an idea of how to proceed.

He glanced back at Kiami and Akari, sleeping peacefully next to each other. He wondered if they had any idea how much their little adventure had helped him. "Thank you both," he murmured. "Sorry, but I'm off." With that he turned and, casting a silent spell, he rose into the sky and took off.

Moments later Kiami and Akari rose and stared after him. "Amazing," Akari murmured. "So I guess there really are mages in the world."

"True, but I guess we shouldn't make comments like that," Kiami returned, lying back down.

Kain wandered throughout the school grounds. Someone watching would consider his slow, measured gait random and without purpose. However, they would also see him stop every once in a while and bend down, touching the ground. If they were very close, they would see his lips moving as he muttered something, apparently to the ground.

He didn't seem to be paying much attention to where he rambled, or to the people he met and passed along the way. Occasionally someone would recognize him and call out to him, and he returned the greeting absentmindedly. Eventually, however, a voice cut through his concentration and called his full attention.

"Kain-sensei! What are you doing here?"

He paused and turned to see Hinagiku standing at the entrance to a traditional Japanese dôjô. She was dressed in a kendô uniform (called, in total, bôgu), complete with hakama pants and the kendô breastplate (or do). She had a shinai (bamboo practice sword) in one hand and her helmet (men) in the other.

"Hinagiku-san…I'm just…wandering…."

"Ah, checking out more clubs?" she asked, and then continued before he could respond, "You haven't visited our club yet." She sounded only slightly peevish.

"Ah…no…well, that's true…."

"If you have a moment, perhaps I could show you around here…?"

He thought for a moment. Yes, he probably had a moment, and it would probably be a good idea to spend it here and not risk further wrath from the kaichô. "All right," he agreed. "I must admit, I'm interested in kendô."

"Have you ever participated in kendô before?" she asked as they entered the building. Various heavily-clothed kendô participants stared at him as entered, following the girl.

"No, I haven't. I learned some fencing back at the university, but I've never had a chance to see real Japanese swordplay…well, except from you earlier, Hinagiku-san."

Hinagiku looked nonplussed, but then she remembered the…two early incidents she'd had with Kain. "Ah, right…."

Meanwhile, the watching kendô club members, predominantly male, were thinking things along the lines of 'Hinagiku-san?! This strange gaijin refers to Katsura-dono as Hinagiku_-san?!'

"Do you really require such heavy protection for kendô, Hinagiku-san?"

"Well, even though these shinai are light and flexible, they can still cause damage if they are used improperly. Don't you have such protection in fencing?"

"Well, we have helmets similar to your kendô ones, but otherwise only lightly padded suits. Foils aren't really capable of penetrating anything…."

I'm feeling an odd sense of bloodthirst, Kain thought as they made their way around. Are they all dedicated fighting freaks?

He would soon learn the error of his thinking. There was a boom as the door to the dôjô opened and seven large figures stepped in.

"So, this is the Mahora Kendô Club, is it? Not very impressed…."

They were dressed in rather un-uniform gi and carrying shinai of their own. They were young men of high school age, rough and somewhat unkempt. They were also well-muscled and seem to exude threat. The massed group of kendô practitioners turned their glower on the new arrivals and Kain felt the bloodthirst around him suddenly vanish. As Kain turned and saw them, he realized the truth: whatever the kendô club members were, they were pushovers compared to these seven. They were dedicated fighting freaks.

"What are you doing here?" Hinagiku demanded, moving to intercept the seven. "This is the Kendô Club; you don't belong here!"

"Ah, don't worry about it, little girl," laughed the leader. "We're the Martial Arts Research Group. We've come to see just how good the Kendô Club is…."

"Martial Arts Research Group? Never heard of it. Now, you're interrupting our club's training. Get out!"

Kain had. The teachers had been encountering problems with this new club. Because of the nature of the school, there were many clubs, some interesting and exotic. The Martial Arts Research Group, however, had been formed by a group who had been kicked out of such places as the Karate Club, Judô Club, and Martial Arts Mastery Society, generally for fighting. In the name of 'researching' martial arts, they traveled about to the various clubs and engaged them in fights. They had not yet done enough to get themselves or their club suspended; generally they avoided it by disrupting things until the invaded clubs' members lashed out at them, giving them a 'self-defense' excuse….

Hinagiku continued arguing with the leader, trying to get him to leave, but he finally held out a hand to forestall her. "Don't worry about it, Ojô-chan. Look, if you want us gone so fast, just give us a proper match, right? If your best competitor can beat me, we'll leave you alone. Sound good?"

Hinagiku glowered, but finally consented. Room was cleared in the center of the dôjô, and the crowd made a circle around Hinagiku and the leader of the MARG. "So, you're my opponent, Ojô-chan? Are you sure? You could get hurt…."

"I could say the same to you," Hinagiku retorted. "Shouldn't you wear bôgu, as is proper for kendô?"

"Don't need it. It's not like a little girl like you can hurt me."

The two took up kendô stances away from each other. For cinematic camera reasons, Hinagiku also kept her helmet off.

Kids, this is a work of fiction. Do not do this at home. If you are participating in kendô, fencing, or any other kind of combat sport, make sure you always wear your protective clothing.

A random nameless kendô student moved forward and called for the match to begin.

In a normal, fair world, there would be little chance for a slender (if athletic) middle school girl to stand much of a chance against a much larger high school boy. Of course, as you may have gathered, this anime-inspired world was neither normal nor fair.

Kain was used to this by now, and, for once, he was not surprised when his student began to dominate her opponent. She didn't use her size to any advantage—she used simple kendô, meeting and blocking all of her opponent's strikes with pure skill and surprising strength, dishing out mighty strikes and pushing him back through sheer force of will.

Yes, Kain knew by now that Hinagiku would be more than a match for this bully, but he also knew that a punk like this would not take getting pushed around by an ojô-chan so easily. As he found himself being forced back and muscled around by her skillful strikes his leering sneer turned into shocked panic, which changed into an angry glower.

After another mighty strike forced him back, he feigned an off-balance collapse, and Hinagiku, seeking the kill, ``followed in to finish him. However, he lashed out with a kick that landed just below Hinagiku's knee. She cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground, and as a roar filled the dôjô, the man moved in to finish her.

Then silence reigned as the shinai fell. The collected group stared at Kain, standing over the mesmerized Hinagiku, holding the shinai's 'blade' in his hand. After a few moments of shocked peace, the man attempted to wrench his sword out of Kain's grasp, but he might as well of tried to unearth a road sign from the concrete.

"W-who are you?" he demanded, sweating as he strained against the smaller man's grasp.

"Kain Lockeheart," Kain replied softly, "Mahora Academy English teacher. I'd ask who you are, but the answer is obvious—a violent bully who only learns through force. Such a lowly strike would be pathetic under any circumstances, but against a younger girl, in her own home? Tragic."

The whispers immediately started up around him at this revelation—the Kendô Club members started sharing their observations, and the six cronies of the MARG huddled together to discuss their misfortune—but, as usual, he paid them no heed. Kain finally threw the shinai away, causing the 'violent bully' to stumble backwards, and he turned to Hinagiku.

"Are you all right, Hinagiku-san?" he asked, proffering her a hand.

Hinagiku continued staring in shock for a moment, then reddened and struck the hand away. "I-I'm fine, Kain-sensei," she muttered, and tried to stand to show just how fine her condition was. Naturally, she did show how fine her condition was, although not how she liked. She winced, managed to stifle a cry of pain, and started falling again.

Kain reached out and caught her, and helped her fully take her feet. "Don't push yourself, Hinagiku-san; that was a terrible hit you took. You should probably have that looked at…."

He spotted a pair of familiar faces pushing their way to the front of the crowd. Ah, that's right…the most unlikely members of the Kendô Club, in his opinion, Momo and Sakura. He stared a second longer than was necessary, however, as he considered the two. Except for the color of their hair and eyes, the two looked very, very similar….

He motioned to them and handed the still-protesting Hinagiku into their grasp. Then, without turning around, he said to the seething bully behind him, "You seem the type who couldn't catch a hint if it was dropped on him with a 5-ton weight. You should really just get out of here. However, if you're hell-bent on fighting…." Kain turned around to face him. "I'll be your opponent. Come at me, and I'll take you down a peg or two."

The man growled, and then came charging in at Kain. Kain put a foot out to Hinagiku's dropped shinai and scooped it up to his hand. A single blow sent the shinai flying from his opponent's grasp. A second strike below the knee staggered him, and as he began to fall, Kain grabbed his gi's collar and slammed his head into the man's nose. He staggered and collapsed.

"Get him out of here, and quickly," Kain snapped to the remaining members of the MARG, and, shivering in sheer terror, they complied. "If I ever catch you trying such stupid and underhanded tactics again, ever catch you disrupting the work of other clubs again, you'll wish I'd merely turned you over the principal. Now go."

After he watched them hustle out the door with their stricken comrade, Kain turned his attention to Hinagiku. Sakura and Momo had put Hinagiku on a chair, and Sakura was massaging Hinagiku's leg.

"I didn't need your help," was the first thing Hinagiku said as Kain approached.

"Forgive me my selfishness," Kain soothed her, making a slight bow. "I was so offended by his lack of respect that I had to take matters into my own hands. Never mind that. How are you? How is your leg?"

"It's fine," she muttered, pushing Sakura's hands away. "It's just a minor injury. Look…I can stand fine." And, wobbling a little, she did so.

"Ah, relieved to hear it. I'm sorry, Hinagiku-san…you wanted to show me your club, and this happened…."

"Ah, no, I'm the one who's sorry…to let something like this happen…."

The apologies ended with a laugh, and Kain continued, "In any case, I think I've caused enough trouble here today; I really should get going. Perhaps I'll stop by again, hopefully when it's more peaceful…."

Kain completed his indecipherable tour of the grounds, and finally returned home near the end of the evening. Everyone had to retire early this night, since the power would be turned off for a yearly maintenance for one hour. The girls stayed in their rooms and prepared candles for light or went to bed early. It would be starting soon.

But two individuals, at least, were not at home. Alyssa stood on the top one of the academy's buildings and stared up at the retreating moon in the sky.

"So…this maintenance will temporarily loose the seal?"

"That is correct," Miyu replied. "Kalan Lockeheart powered the seal by tying it into the academy's electrical grid."

"Hmm…strange I've never noticed it after all these years. I've had an increasing interest in MagiTech as it's developed over the past one hundred years."

"The seal retained more than enough energy to fully bind you over the course of the one hour maintenance…however…with the electrical grid down, it is vulnerable to being suppressed by an equally great MagiTech power. In other words, I can free you from the seal for the length of the maintenance."

"One hour, eh? That should be more than enough time. I feel a little bad about this, since Kain-sensei wasn't expecting a rematch so soon, but I have to take the chances that are given to me. Let's begin…."

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Kiami Tsukimori and Akari Heiro

One of the things I did while reading the Negima manga is keep track of three special 'clubs'. These aren't official school clubs, but unofficial clubs I assign students to as they meet certain criteria. These clubs are the 'magic secret club', for when his students discovered (or were shown to be aware of) the magical world; 'Negi's fan club', for those who had shown high affection for the child-teacher; and the 'Pactio club' consisting, obviously, of Negi's Pactio partners. I shall start to keep track of Kain's versions now.

Mai, obviously, joined the magic secret club in the first chapter; then, in Chapter Seven, three suddenly joined after all that time (Alyssa, Miyu, and Erika). Now Kiami and Akari have joined the club as well, giving us 6 in Kain's class who are aware of his secret. For his fan club, Nodoka joined early, and Kazumi has recently been added; no others have really stood out yet. However, the intent of this latest Hinagiku debacle is to make the unofficial moment she fully joined the club. It may be a bit longer before this becomes wholly evident, especially due to Hinagiku's stubborn nature.

And, of course, we have yet to make a contract (Pactio). This will be remedied soon….

Kiami and Akari are very rare character types: truly unique, or, rather, my own creations; no pictures for them, because they are my characters. Now, Negima featured two great characters that I wanted to mimic, but not keep: Kaede Nagase, a Koga ninja, and Ku Fei, a Chinese martial artist. However, I had trouble finding replacements for them. On the martial artist side, an obvious replacement would have been someone like Miu Fûrinji, heroine of Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple. However, while I love the series and I like the characters, I…kind of like them where they are, in their series, and I don't like Miu (or, mostly, her artistic illustration type) enough to use her. In other words, she's just not really cute enough (artistically). There are a couple other girls from Kenichi that might have been useable replacements, but I didn't like any of them enough. Little Chikage had perhaps the most interesting possibilities, but since her presence would have likely produced a lolicon (or reverse lolicon, honestly) element that was counter to my desire for proper age in the romances, even she was rejected. Hmm….

Ninja searching was just as difficult. Naturally, a popular ninja anime like Naruto would have a multitude of candidates, but, honestly, none of them fit the proper mold, either. I've never liked Sakura Haruno much, and most of the other girls were too insignificant to merit inclusion. Even my favorite, Hinata, was no good; her taijutsu skills would have made her more a martial artist than proper ninja anyway, and, as a shy infatuated hero-worshipper…well, as you are aware, we already have two of those. So, what to do….

So, finally, I decided to return to the idea of Kenichi. For my GURPS campaign I designed based on that world I created three rival schools patterned after Ryôzanpaku in order to give a wider variety of potential martial arts for the PCs to study, and made a separate 'heir' NPC modeled after the idea of Miu for each school, one male, two female; the females were Akari Heiro and Kiami Tsukimori (originally, Sôten).

Akari is actually the second incarnation of the character; the original is the main heroine of my Mishiba story. This Akari is quite similar—not the brightest student (quite different from Miu, who was a model straight-A student), but a genius and dedicated fighter, kind and outgoing but unsure in social situations.

Kiami shares a name with a much earlier character I created (ironically, another bare-fisted martial artist, patterned after Tifa Lockhart of FF VII), but is rather unique—she is, despite being a 'martial artist', actually a ninja. Part of her is modeled after Kenichi's Shigure Kôsaka, but, as noted in the text, while she often seems calm and cool, she's actually mischievous and flirtatious. She has a variety of classic ninja skills that have been popularized in Naruto, such as bunshin (translated in that work as either 'doppelgangers' or 'clones'), but are common cinematic ninja skills in many manga and anime, including the original Negima. Both girls will soon become part of Kain's growing party's core strength.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Ten: Demon-Touched, Part IV: Sins of the Father

"Something's up, Kain," Kamo murmured.

Kain sat up and looked over at his companion, blinking. "What?" he murmured.

He had no light in his room as he sat in the chair at his desk, contemplating, but as Kamo called his attention he caused a pair of lights to manifest.

"I just felt a bit of a power surge," Kamo explained. "There's a serious power out there. Like, a demon princess power."

Kain paused, and let his senses go out. "I don't sense anything," he replied after searching for a short time.

"I'm not surprised. It's disappeared…masked similar to how your fight was the other night. The weird thing is that, when it disappeared, it's like the presence never existed in the first place. It's hard to describe. I think the only reason I even know anything happened is because I'm an elemental and not mortal. This is weird, kiddo."

Kain thought for a moment. "I suppose I should go check it out, then." He started for the door.

Kamo hopped onto his shoulder. "Shouldn't you get some back-up, just in case?"

"Don't I have you for that?"

"Cute, Kiddo. I'm not a combat-type; make sure you're aware of that…."

Kain wandered out into the field and looked around. He couldn't sense anything special, but something caused a shiver to run up and down his spine. Had Kamo imagined what he felt? He sure hoped so. If he didn't, considering the situation, it could only mean Alyssa was out and about again, and for several reasons he didn't like that idea….

"Ah, Kain-sensei. Fancy meeting you here."

Kain whirled around. And there she was. There was something…different about her, something more sinister. Something intense. Was this the same Alyssa...?

"What's going on, Alyssa?" Kain demanded. "What are you doing outside right now?"

Alyssa smiled. "What do you think?"

He dodged aside as Miyu attacked him from behind, and a quick spell forced her backwards. In the next instant, however, Alyssa was behind him, a hand raised. The next instant after that, seemingly without any intervening time, he was lying on the ground dazed a hundred yards away.

"What was that?" he muttered as he struggled to rise. Alyssa and Miyu stalked slowly, purposefully towards him.

"I do apologize for this," Alyssa said softly as she approached. "I did say a month before our next encounter, but I wasn't aware then that this would be the one night of the year I'd have my full power back. Yes, this is my full power, so don't make the mistake of thinking I'm just like I was before."

"This is bad, kiddo," Kamo whispered. "You'd better hide, and fast, and call a few reinforcements. Maybe a few dozen."

"Right," Kain muttered back, then, more loudly, "If you have your full power back, what do you need me for? Why don't you just leave?"

"I wonder…? Well, I don't have time to explain. Please don't resist and give me your blood." She raised her hand again.

Kain slammed a hand into the ground and light burst out, blinding both girls. When it cleared, he was gone.

Alyssa grinned evilly. "He's not going to make this easy…but it wouldn't be any fun otherwise. Come, Miyu…let's chase the rabbit…."

"We really should get help," Kamo insisted as Kain pelted his way along.

"Perhaps later," Kain muttered. "I've got an idea…."

"Ah, an idea, perfect," Kamo retorted. "Good. Well, I've got one too, and it doesn't involve being in the line of fire of a nasty fully-powered Infernal princess and her robot pet. I'm out." He vanished.

Kain felt hurt, but there wasn't any time to dwell on it. He already had several tricks prepared, although they had been made with a different idea of how this would go down. He just had to hope they were enough, because one thing was certain—if he couldn't hope to take Miyu and a weakened and sealed Alyssa, there was no way he could take on Miyu and a fully-powered Alyssa, a being capable of taking on an Archmage. He wasn't sure he could really take either one alone at this point, but….

He made it to the bridge that went across the Mahora Lake to the far end, where it formed part of the official border of the academy's grounds. As he started across it, Alyssa said behind him, "And here you are. Slippery little rabbit, aren't you?"

He glanced back briefly, then started running. Laughing, Alyssa casually pursued. More calmly, Miyu also followed.

"Where are you going, Kain-sensei?" Alyssa called. "Are you trying to run away? Do you actually realize that, even with my power back, I can't leave the academy grounds?"

Kain slowed and whirled around, backing up slowly. He drew his staff and sword from the depths of his cloak again.

"And now you choose to stand and fight? What are you planning…?"

Just a few more feet, just a little more….

Now….

Kain slammed his staff into the ground, and a magic circle appeared around Miyu and Alyssa. The next instant, a magic cage sprung up around them, entrapping them.

"Right," Kain breathed in relief. "There we go. How's that?"

Curiously, Alyssa reached out with a hand and touched the edge of her cage. There was a violent snap of power and her hand was flung back, smoking slightly. "Well done," she murmured. "I hadn't expected you to already have such a fine trump card prepared. You've made an elemental cage, charged by the water surrounding us. You've even strengthened it through the presence of the Mahora Tree, via the underground streams that run under the tree and help fill the lake. Very nice. I couldn't get out a cage like this easily, or in any acceptable time frame, even with all my power.

"Fortunately, I don't have to. Miyu?"

Miyu slammed her sword into the ground. A light began to grow from the point of impact, finally flaring up to an intense level and then suddenly disappearing. When it faded, the cage had also disappeared.

Kain stared. He sighed. "You know, that is entirely unfair."

"My condolences. Now, are you ready to surrender your blood to me?"

In response Kain ran to the side of the bridge and leapt over the railing. He hit the surface of the water and bounced up and flew away at high speed.

Alyssa sighed. "He's got to stop doing that," she murmured. "After all this time, I'm having too much fun chasing him. I might waste all my time at this rate." Her features hardened. "No more games. Let's get him, Miyu."

"Yes, Alyssa-sama."

There were smashes and crashes as a moving battle raged through the trees of the northern wilderness of Mahora. Our camera pans in after showing the forest for several dull seconds of primarily sound effects, showing Kain, bruised and somewhat bloodied, flying into a nearby tree.

"Are you done yet?" Alyssa teased, stalking towards him. "We've played for a while, now…."

In reply Kain put a hand to the ground. Arcane fire flashed across the ground towards Alyssa, forcing her to jump backwards. "Miyu!" she snapped.

Miyu came charging in response to the command…and then she was flying through the air as Erika arrived from nowhere with a savage kick.

"What?!" Alyssa cried, and then jumped back as Erika moved to attack her next.

A hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed Kain's arm. "This way, Kain-sensei!" Mai insisted, and Kain was dragged along behind her.

Alyssa watched them go as she dodged Erika's strikes. Finally Miyu came charging back in to protect her master, and Erika was forced to cross blades with her again.

"You take this one, Miyu," Alyssa hissed. "I still need to finish my business with our dear teacher."

Meanwhile, Mai and Kain had stopped behind a tree, panting. "You really don't look too good, Kiddo," Kamo remarked as he climbed back up onto Kain's shoulder. "Still, looks like you're holding out pretty well, considering. Sorry I took so long."

"Did you," Kain gasped, "run off to get them?"

"Of course I did. You obviously couldn't take them alone, and you did agree to their help before, didn't you?"

"Ah…yeah…."

"You really didn't have any intention of letting us know about this, did you?" Mai scolded. She sighed. "Well, we don't have time to worry about this."

"That's right," Kamo said. "Erika-chan can take Miyu, probably, but she can't hold both of them. Alyssa'll be here any minute."

"What do you know about her, Kamo? I mean, do you know why she has her full power back?"

"From what I can sense, it seems Miyu's used her natural anti-magic capabilities to restrict the seal on her. The only reason she can is because the seal is founded on the academy's electrical grid; since it's off right now, they can overwrite the seal. Once the electricity comes back online, the seal should return in full force."

Kain thought about this. "So, it's been about a half hour since the power went off, we need to at least keep her busy for a half hour…." He thought and then sighed. "It's still gonna be tough. I don't know if I can hold her off that long alone…."

"Then we'd better get this 'contract' thing done," Mai sighed.

"Er…what?" Kain blinked.

"We don't have time. Alyssa-chan's at full power, right? And Kamo-kun said Fukukaichô can probably be fine handling Miyu-san, but you just said you can't take Alyssa-chan alone." She blushed. "I…don't really like the idea much, but this contract thing is the only thing we have that could tip the scales for us, right?"

"Um…."

"Mai-chan's right, Kiddo. You don't have time. What's it gonna be?"

There was no time. He sighed. Setting the whole 'kiss' thing aside, this wasn't fair to Mai…but, it wasn't fair to have her out here, practically defenseless….

"All right. Let's get this done."

"Good choice, Kiddo. Here we go…."

Kamo hopped to the ground, and a magic circle appeared underneath the pair. A surge of magical energy enveloped them as they turned towards each other.

This…feels nice, Mai thought. Is this…magic…? It's…amazing…and somehow…familiar….

She understood as the magic flowed into her. It really did need to be a kiss for this contract to work properly—the binding of two souls required an emotional tie, and the stronger the tie, the stronger the bond. Erika had privately told Mai earlier that Kamo's claim was suspect, because several of Kalan's partners had been men, and the thought of them sharing contracts in this manner…well, didn't bear thinking. It wouldn't work this way between men, however, or women, either. It wouldn't create the same emotional bond. Between them, some other sign of creating a pact or vow would be required….

She didn't know why she understood this, but it was all obvious to her.

Driven mostly by the magic in the circle, Kain and Mai kissed. There was an explosion of power, and after a moment it was all gone.

Mai and Kain withdrew, trying to suppress their embarrassment. Kain could already feel a difference, however; he had spent the last half hour pushing himself to his emotional, physical, and magical limit, and now he felt recharged. If the two of them could just slow Alyssa for a short time, he did have a chance….

"Ah, there you are," Alyssa murmured as she came into view. "So, you really want to help Kain-sensei that much, Tokiha-san? Very noble of you."

Mai moved in front of Kain. Kamo hopped onto her shoulder. "What do I do now?" Mai whispered. "I feel…well, full of energy, but…."

"We don't have time to experiment or learn, so I'll just use the contract to boost you for now. Know anything about fighting?"

"Er, no…."

"Well, you learn as you go, then! Here she comes!"

Alyssa put her hand to the ground. Four manta ray-like beasts rose from the ground and launched themselves at Mai.

"Here they come, Ojô-chan! Do your best!"

Restraining a scream, Mai lashed out. With several punches and a half-hearted kick, she knocked them away. They vanished into nonexistence as soon as each strike landed.

Mai stared. She was moving with incredible speed and skill, but she hadn't expected this…. "Wow…that was easy…."

And it wasn't the contract, Kamo thought. But of course, this girl….

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. Then they widened as she whipped her head to the left. A large, black-red bolt of energy was glowing in Kain's hand. It blasted out towards her, and she just avoided it.

"What was that?" Alyssa demanded as she retreated. "That looked like a particularly nasty bolt of chaos-fire…."

"Doom bolt," Kain replied. "My invention. You made the right choice in dodging it; shields won't stop it. Try again?" He powered the spell again.

Mai then came charging in as Alyssa contemplated how to deal with the spell, and she dodged Mai's clumsy but extremely fast and powerful blows. Kain fired another bolt at her after she separated, and then he came charging in with his weapons again.

Dealing with both of them in this state was troublesome, particularly because Mai seemed to completely nullify any spell she attempted to use. She needed to come up with another solution.

She teleported some distance away and put her hand to the ground again. A much larger creature swelled out of the ground and rose into the sky, carrying Alyssa with it. It then began to take form….

"A s-spider?" Mai shrieked as it fully materialized.

It jumped at Mai, who fled in instinctive fright. Kain moved to intercept the thing, but once again Alyssa was behind him and sent him flying deeper into the forest from another burst of power. "My pet will deal with you, Tokiha-san," she said. "I don't have any time to play around any more." She began to pursue Kain.

Kain recovered quickly. He was somewhat surprised. His well-trained magic senses allowed him to instinctively pull at the magic now available to him through the contract. The more he got used to having it, the easier it would be to pull….

But he could also tell that he would have to be careful how much he drew. Like any power, it had a cost, and it this case, it was to both Kain and Mai. The contract, and the energy it brought him, was like any kind of tool—it amplified his own efforts dramatically, but there was still a strain associated with its use. He had to keep equilibrium with how much he used.

And there was Alyssa, appearing magically in front of him. "Now, it seems you found some interesting help. There seems to be something special about that girl…don't you agree, Kain-sensei?"

Kain watched Alyssa warily as she approached. She continued, "You've proven very troublesome so far, but now it's time to get rid of you…."

"Will it be that easy, Alyssa?" Kain retorted. "Your little pet may keep Mai busy, but how much of your power are you using keeping it around to bother her?"

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to suggest something, Kain-sensei?"

Kain began to power his doom bolt again at the tip of his staff. "Be careful; you can't afford to toy with me any more. This round, time is on my side. The longer this goes on, the closer we get to your time limit."

"Well said, boy. Very well. I'll stop toying with you."

The shadows around her suddenly started to contort, sharpen, and come into focus around her. They actually rose from the ground and became, not two dimensional colors painting the surface, but three dimensional threats. The shadows launched at Kain.

Kain dropped his spell and retreated, using his boosted speed and his own magic to propel his way through the forest. The shadows sliced through the trees around him, providing impromptu logging and pruning services to the foliage, depending on the degree of damage. Kain fired a few bolts of magical energy back at her as he fled, but the shadows moved to block them as well. Even his prized doom bolt was ineffective against the strange magic.

"Now that's just unfair," Kain muttered to himself. He could now see why a true Infernal princess was considered one of the most terrifying opponents a mage—or a group of mages—could face. Probably a large portion of her magic power was being used in maintaining the presence of the demonic spider facing Mai, but she still had a weapon like this she could use—and it was impossible to lose her.

But Kain wasn't particularly worried. He figured that Mai, between her unique power, the contract, and Kamo's coaching, would be all right; he was also confident that Erika was capable of facing Miyu. There were just a few more minutes to go…just a few more minutes….

Kain made a pass through the campus buildings as he circled in retreat. As he hoped, Alyssa slowed the ferocity of her attacks when he left the forest, likely weary of damaging the building.

"Are you hoping to hide here, Kain-sensei, or are you hoping that reinforcements may come out if you lure me near the main campus?" Alyssa called out as he ducked behind a building.

"I wonder," Kain called back as he touched the ground and an invisible magical circle came into view. He had planned them to gather energy from the tree over the course of the month, but, thanks to the power of the contract, he could charge them up now….

He was already racing away by the time Alyssa and her shadows came around the corner. Kain wasn't expecting any reinforcements, but it would seem Alyssa feared bringing them out if she caused too much mayhem.

Finally he circled back towards the lake. He emerged from the trees, sprinted to the edge of the lake, and then leapt into the air, racing across it as if it was solid ground. Finally he settled out over the middle of the lake and stood there, turning to face Alyssa as she emerged from the trees.

Alyssa stopped at the edge of the lake and stared up at Kain, narrowing her eyes. "What are you plotting, Kain-sensei?" she demanded of him. "Standing out in the open like that to face me? You're a quick little rabbit, but you can't think you're able to take me on as I am now, not one-on-one."

"Maybe," Kain replied with a laugh. "Who knows? Well, you're certainly scary as you are right now. And in such a cute, innocent form…it's just unfair.

"But if you're so certain I can't take you, why don't you try and get me? Use your magic to strike me from the sky, or, better yet, send those little shadows up after me. Those are part of your real demon body, right? I bet they can extract my blood directly. Well, I'm here, and vulnerable, and tired of running. Why don't you end it?"

Alyssa glared at him. He was obviously plotting something. What was his purpose in racing around the school? Why was he now standing out in the open?

Unfortunately, she didn't have time to figure out what his strategy might be from careful thinking—that might even be his strategy, trying to buy just a bit more time by making her believe he had some sort of strategy….

Erika suddenly came flying into view, hitting the water but skating across it until she reached the shore. Her uniform was somewhat torn and cut, but she didn't look particularly injured—likely due to her vampiric regenerative abilities. Miyu came into view next, also looking somewhat ragged, and she lighted on the shore a distance from her foe.

As Alyssa turned her attention to the arrivals, Kain powered up his doom bolt again and hurled a strong blast at the girl.

She briefly turned back to look at the missile and then vanished before it impacted. In that instant she was again behind Kain, and another burst of energy hurled him back towards the ground that she had just occupied.

Kain impacted the ground hard, kicking up a cloud of dirt and small vegetation. His cloak, however, remained in the air in front of her.

"What?" she cried, and then screamed as the cloak wrapped around her. "This is…?!"

"That's right." Kain smiled as he slowly rose. "Do you recognize it now? It's not a cloak that's just like his—it is my father's, the same one he used to restrict you long ago."

Alyssa shrieked in anger. "You did look in my dreams, you rat!"

"I apologize, but it's very lucky for me I did. I always thought it was just a cloak of infinite pocket space until I saw my father use it against you. It can hold anything I want because it has powers over space-time, right?"

"What are you going to do, then, seal my magic? It's already in place—do you think you can do it better than your father can? This won't hold me for long…."

"You're right, but it should hold for just long enough." Pillars of light suddenly shot into the sky from various points of the academy grounds. Once in the air, they curved and came down on one point, surrounding Alyssa with a globe of light and energy. "And you're right, there's already one seal in place, but it won't come back into effect for about…ten minutes, I think. That should be plenty of time. I'll see you in ten minutes' time." The lights all winked out, and then it was all gone—light, magic, cloak, and little girl.

"Alyssa-sama!" Miyu began to come charging in at Kain, but a shadow suddenly loomed over her. She looked up and saw the huge spider descending on her, and jumped out of the way. It crashed into the ground and lay still, dispersing and disintegrating slowly into little pinpoint lights of residual magic which lasted only moments before disappearing.

Mai stood panting on the top of a hill at the edge of the tree line, her arms frozen in a post-toss posture. "How's that?!" she demanded hoarsely. She tried to add something clever to her drained but victorious image, but she couldn't come up with anything.

Miyu stared at her for a moment as she recovered, but then Erika was there, swinging her magic-wrapped hand. Miyu moved to intercept, but Erika was faster, and Miyu's arm separated at the shoulder. Erika continued her charge, grabbing Miyu by the throat and pressing her down to the ground. Her hand hovered a few inches from Miyu's face.

"I think it's our victory," Erika gasped. Miyu stared up at Erika, unblinking, her emotion gone, and did not object to Erika's declaration.

"What did you do to her?" Erika called over her shoulder as Kain walked slowly up to her and Mai also timidly approached.

"I sent her forward in time," Kain said glibly. "She's fine—she just won't exist anymore until about ten minutes' time."

"What?" Mai demanded, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"That cloak is a memento of my father—one of his most treasured possessions. It is an artifact that has power over time and space. Using my magic, I was able make it the focus for a spell I never could have cast on my own. Specifically, it's called a timeport—technically the opposite of a teleport, sending the subject forward or backward in time."

Mai blinked. "Okay…so you sent her forward in time. Whatever. I mean, will that do any good?"

"It should. The seal has been suspended because it's tied to the academy's electrical grid, so when it comes back on, the seal will come back at full strength and Alyssa will once again be no more than a little girl."

"That is a very innovative strategy," Miyu declared. "You are cunning, Kain-sensei, even if you are soft."

Kain looked back at her. "Are you going to try fighting any more?"

"I have no reason to do so. I only serve Alyssa-sama and do as she orders. It appears the battle is finished. If Alyssa-sama is in no apparent danger, and there is no means for me to assist her, then the battle is over."

"That's a relief." Kain sighed and collapsed into a sitting posture. "This night has been far more intense than I could have imagined."

"Almost seems an anticlimactic way to end it," Kamo remarked as Mai took a seat near him. Erika rose from off of Miyu, canceling her magic, and Miyu sat up slightly. "Now, what, we sit and wait for Alyssa to pop back up? Clever move, anyway, kiddo. You did real well."

Mai looked over at Miyu. "Er…your arm?"

Miyu looked down at her severed appendage as if noticing it for the first time. "This? It is an inconvenience, but Caria-sama should be able to repair me with little trouble."

She picked up her arm and wandered down to the lake and sat on the shore, staring up at where Alyssa had been when she disappeared.

"Are you all right, Sendô-san?" Kain asked as Erika sat down near the pair.

"Yeah…I'm sure I look worse than I am."

"I'll say," Mai muttered. "Even after all this, it's weird to look at you and Miyu-san and think that you're not human…that you're 'fine' even looking like that…."

Erika laughed a little nervously. "A clever plan, in any case, Kain-sensei," she said, changing the subject. "Did you come up with that on the fly?"

"No…I started working on it early this morning, in fact. I was planning to use it on Miyu the next time she came after me—I couldn't take both of them, but if I got Miyu out of the picture, Alyssa, with her magic sealed, wouldn't have been any challenge at all."

"Which means," Erika concluded, "that you never planned to ask our help at all, did you?"

"No," Kain admitted. "I didn't want to involve anyone more than I had to. But if you hadn't shown up, I certainly would have been in trouble. Thank you…both of you…."

Alyssa finally reappeared. To her, it was as if no time had passed at all. The lights were suddenly all on all over the school and her power was gone. The cloak fluttering along above her, she collapsed into the water.

She had never learned to swim, of course, since she never had need of it with a demon form. Now, with a fragile, tiny human body, she was descended slowly into the depths of the lake, deprived of freedom and oxygen. It was so inconvenient, being in a mortal human body. Was she going to die, here, like this? As a human child? She wondered what would happen to her if she died as a human….

Then a hand came out of the darkness and grabbed her wrist….

She awoke, coughing and sputtering on the shore. She looked up into four faces. "Ah, so I'm not dead," she murmured. "Is that it, then?"

"That's it," Kain replied. "It's over, Alyssa. I believe I've won."

"So you have. Very clever of you. And now you even saved my life." She sat up slowly. "Well then, what now, oh great Kain-sensei?"

"Now you live up to your end of the bargain," Kain replied, standing. "That's all I ask. Stop trying to take my blood and act as a proper student."

Alyssa sighed. "Fine then," she muttered. "I suppose I'll have to." She smiled. "I suppose it won't be so bad. You're certainly better than I thought, Kain-sensei. It might be quite interesting to see what happens to you in the future, too. This year certainly won't be as dull as the last fifteen."

As the group finally picked themselves up and separated, a small, slight dark-haired figure, clothed in black, watched the scene unnoticed. Its shadowy form extended an arm, and a small rod-like object it had been holding suddenly changed into the shape of a Japanese short sword, or wakizashi, with its cross guard and blade. The figure slipped the sword back into the scabbard at its side. Then, a small amount of light shows the bottom of a feminine face, which smiles, and the figure vanishes.

Kain visited Alyssa in her home the next day. She was bedridden with a small cold after her bath in the river. Miyu opened the door and let him inside; it seemed she had already received her repairs from Caria and the rest of the engineering department. Kain wondered who had roused them in the middle of the night to repair her arm.

"Ah, Kain-sensei," Alyssa greeted him, sitting up in bed as he entered. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just checking up on you," Kain replied glibly, taking a seat by her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too badly. I suppose I have you to thank and to curse for my situation."

"Ah…yes. It must be unbearable to be in this situation, year after year…."

"I suppose. And now I'll have to endure it for a while longer. No need to think about that now, though. I can tell that things will continue to be interesting with you around, at least."

Kain perked up. "Why do you say that? Does that have anything to do with why the principal and the rest of the Magic Council never knew about our little brawls?"

"Fishing for information, Kain-sensei? Unfortunately, there's nothing I can tell you about that, so if that's why you came to visit, you might as well just give up."

Kain smiled. "Really? Nothing you can tell me? Well, fine then. I won't press. I feel guilty enough as it is. I don't know about how 'interesting' things will be with me around, but I also came to make a promise. I'm not going to abandon you here, regardless of what happens. I'm going to come back and free you from this curse."

Alyssa narrowed her eyes at him. "Be careful, Kain-sensei," she breathed fiercely. "I won't take jokes like that lightly, even from you."

"I'm serious. I promise you. One day, when I've developed enough magic power, after I've found my father, I'll definitely come back here and lift the curse…provided you promise to keep from attacking humans."

"Big talk, boy. Your father is dead, you know…he disappeared shortly after he sealed me away and hasn't been seen since, by anyone. He's dead and gone."

"It's not true." Alyssa stared at Kain, shocked at the conviction in his voice. It wasn't the statement of a man desperate to dispel statements contrary to his perfect vision of the world, but the assured voice of a man who is confident of his subject. "I know my father is still alive. There is someone who has seen him since he disappeared…me."

Alyssa's shock deepened as Kain continued, "It was about nine years ago…when I was five. My home town was attacked by demons, and he appeared and saved me. I saw him, met him myself. He gave me his cloak then, and I've kept it with me ever since. I know he's still out there, waiting for me to find him. And I will. I know I'm the only one who can."

Alyssa continued to stare for several moments before dropping her gaze with a smile. "So confident, so sure. If it's you, maybe you can find the vanished Kalan Lockeheart…and maybe you have the potential to equal or surpass your father, and undo this curse as you claim. Well, concerning your father…where are you going to start looking?"

"Er…I'm not sure," Kain admitted. "I figured that most of the clues would be found in Arcanus Myrror, the world where my father did most of his work. I was planning to start searching once Headmaster Hammond and the rest allow me to go there in pursuit of my Archmage training…."

"So, content to rest on your laurels while you're here at Mahora? Well, you are still young. But you don't need to wait too long before you start looking. Do you know why I'm here?"

It was Kain's turn to stare. "Huh?"

"I came here pursuing your father, of course. He liked this country, and had many Japanese friends, such as the principal and his son. He also had a home in Kyoto. He likely left some clues about where he might be hiding or doing. You could probably go there to check it out sometime soon…in fact, I heard the principal was considering sending your class there for its class trip in a while. I'll have Miyu give you the address. You might want to look into it."

Kain departed after a little more small talk, but it was obvious his heart wasn't in it. His mind was on other things. "Kyoto," he murmured. "I'm going to finally find something about my father…."

Yes, he was young, and he knew he had time—he was able to be patient and enjoy the time he had. Now that a clue had been dangled before him, however, he was restless and feeling impulsive. He was ready to chase his father.

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Alyssa Sears and Miyu Greer

This concludes Act One of Mahou Sensei Kain. After much planning, I've concluded that there will be 20 Acts (plus two semi-Acts) in the story. Not all will be the same size, but all should be 6-12 chapters. This Act, with its many but short chapters, is about on the average side.

And…this chapter introduces the 'Pactio' or contract as I simply refer to it, since I'm not following the Latin language for magic and related matters here. Sure, it was kinda cool, but this world doesn't have Latin as the base origin of magic as Negima did, and it's too much trouble for me to try to dig up Latin so I can properly use it, anyway.

So Mai and Kain have made their contract, and thus has it entered the world of Mahou Sensei Kain. The card has not yet been revealed, the same as it didn't appear immediately in the original story—there was no time for them to experiment with it here, so Kamo will provide it later and create all the significant subplots from it. From _this point on, the growing number of contracts will make things interesting….

Alyssa and Miyu take the place of Evangeline A.K. McDowell and her robot servant, Chachamaru Karakuri. The mold was just too fitting—a blond foreign child, ridiculously cute but housing an evil heart, accompanied by her gynoid schoolgirl servant/guardian. I liked Eva, but always considered Chachamaru somewhat…lacking. And, furthermore, I didn't want to copy the story exactly. Alyssa, changed from a human into a demon (which is appropriate for her anyway) is a great replacement. Miyu is also cooler than Chachamaru (especially in My-Otome). That's neither here nor there. It was a great fit, so I went with it.

It is not, however, despite what I said, absolutely perfect. Miyu's only emotion she shows is the dedication, devotion, and concern for Alyssa. That's fine—it's part of her character. However, Chachamaru actually develops feelings for Negi because of his…well, Negi qualities. The emotionless robot doll servant developing feelings outside of her programming is a great theme in theory…but it certainly would be too weird for Miyu to be in that role. Miyu will remain with Alyssa wherever the two go (or don't) so Negima veterans should not expect her to follow Chachamaru's path too closely. There is another member of the class slated to follow the developing emotions subplot.

Now, on to Act Two! Please continue to enjoy the story….


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